Int J Circumpolar Health

ObjectivesTo examine the epidemiology of infectious disease (ID) hospitalisations among Alaska Native (AN) people.MethodsHospitalisations with a first-listed ID diagnosis for American Indians and ANs residing in Alaska during 2001\u20132009 were selected from the Indian Health Service direct and contract health service inpatient data. ID hospitalisations to describe the general US population were selected from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Annual and average annual (2007\u20132009) hospitalization rates were calculated.ResultsDuring 2007\u20132009, IDs accounted for 20% of hospitalisations among AN people. The 2007\u20132009 average annual age-adjusted ID hospitalisation rate (2126/100,000 persons) was higher than that for the general US population (1679/100,000; 95% CI 1639\u20131720). The ID hospitalisation rate for AN people increased from 2001 to 2009 (17%, p<0.001). Although the rate during 2001\u20132009 declined for AN infants (<1 year of age; p=0.03), they had the highest 2007\u20132009 average annual rate (15106/100,000), which was 3 times the rate for general US infants (5215/100,000; 95% CI 4783\u20135647). The annual rates for the age groups 1\u20134, 5\u201319, 40\u201349, 50\u201359 and 70\u201379 years increased (p