Dataset Information

The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults: challenges and opportunities.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study designed to examine the role of psychosocial stress on presence and development of allostatic load and health outcomes in Puerto Ricans, and potential modification by nutritional status, genetic variation, and social support.

Methods

Self-identified Puerto Ricans, aged 45-75 years and residing in the Boston, MA metro area, were recruited through door-to-door enumeration and community approaches. Participants completed a comprehensive set of questionnaires and tests. Blood, urine and salivary samples were extracted for biomarker and genetic analysis. Measurements are repeated at a two-year follow-up.

Results

A total of 1500 eligible participants completed baseline measurements, with nearly 80% two-year follow-up retention. The majority of the cohort is female (70%), and many have less than 8th grade education (48%), and fall below the poverty level (59%). Baseline prevalence of health conditions is high for this age range: considerable physical (26%) and cognitive (7%) impairment, obesity (57%), type 2 diabetes (40%), hypertension (69%), arthritis (50%) and depressive symptomatology (60%).

Conclusions

The enrollment of minority groups presents unique challenges. This report highlights approaches to working with difficult to reach populations, and describes some of the health issues and needs of Puerto Rican older adults. These results may inform future studies and interventions aiming to improve the health of this and similar communities.

SUBMITTER: Tucker KL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2848197 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults: challenges and opportunities.

Tucker Katherine L KL Mattei Josiemer J Noel Sabrina E SE Collado Bridgette M BM Mendez Jackie J Nelson Jason J Griffith John J Ordovas Jose M JM Falcon Luis M LM

BMC public health 20100301

<h4>Background</h4>The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study designed to examine the role of psychosocial stress on presence and development of allostatic load and health outcomes in Puerto Ricans, and potential modification by nutritional status, genetic variation, and social support.<h4>Methods</h4>Self-identified Puerto Ricans, aged 45-75 years and residing in the Boston, MA metro area, were recruited through door-to-door enumeration and community approaches ...[more]

PMID: 20193082

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Project description:Puerto Ricans living in the United States mainland present multiple disparities in prevalence of chronic diseases, relative to other racial and ethnic groups. Allostatic load (AL), or the cumulative wear and tear of physiological responses to stressors such as major life events, social and environmental burden, has been proposed as a possible mechanism for the inequalities observed in minority groups, but has not been studied in Puerto Ricans. The aim of this study was to determine the association of AL to six chronic diseases (abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD), arthritis and cancer) in Puerto Ricans, and to contrast AL to metabolic syndrome (MetS). Participants of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (n=1116, ages 45-75 years) underwent a home-based interview, where questionnaires were completed and biological samples collected. A summary definition of AL was constructed using clinically-defined cutoffs and medication use for 10 physiological parameters in different body systems. Logistic regression models were run to determine associations between AL score and disease status, controlling for age, sex, smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, total fat intake and energy intake. Parallel models were also run with MetS score replacing AL. We found that increasing categories of AL score were significantly associated with abdominal obesity, hypertension, diabetes and self-reported cardiovascular disease (CVD) and arthritis, but not with self-reported cancer. The strength of associations of AL with all conditions, except diabetes and cancer, was similar to or larger than those of MetS score. In conclusion, Puerto Rican older adults experienced physiological dysregulation that was associated with increased odds of chronic conditions. AL was more strongly associated with most conditions, compared to MetS, suggesting that this cumulative measure may be a better predictor of disease. These results have prospective research implications for Puerto Ricans and other ethnic groups.

Project description:BackgroundPuerto Rican adults residing in the US mainland experience a high prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS). A diet containing healthy protein-rich sources may help control risk factors for MetS.ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate 2-year longitudinal associations between intake of various protein-rich foods and changes in the six MetS components.DesignThis is a secondary analysis of a longitudinal cohort study using data from the baseline (2004-2007) and 2-year follow-up visits (2006-2011) in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study.Participants/settingParticipants were self-identified Puerto Ricans, aged 45 to 75 years, residing in Boston, Massachusetts, or the surrounding area (n = 1,126).Main outcome measuresMetS components were fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, triglycerides, systolic and diastolic blood pressures, and waist circumference.Statistical analysisBaseline intake of foods reported in a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire were expressed as servings/day, and protein-rich foods were categorized as unprocessed white meat, unprocessed red meat, processed meat, milk and yogurt, cheese, fish and seafood, beans, nuts, and eggs. Associations between each continuous protein food group and continuous 2-year change in MetS components were assessed using linear mixed models adjusted for socioeconomic and behavioral factors, and other dietary sources.ResultsThe top contributors to total protein intake were unprocessed red meat (13.3%) and unprocessed poultry (13.0%), and the lowest were eggs (2.92%) and nuts (0.91%). Higher intake of processed meats was associated with an increase in waist circumference over 2 years (β = 1.28; standard error [SE] = 0.63), whereas higher intake of fish and seafood was associated with a decrease in waist circumference (β = -3.47; SE = 1.39). Intake of unprocessed poultry was associated with a decrease in triglycerides (β = -24.5; SE = 9.13). No other significant associations were observed between protein sources and 2-year changes in MetS components.ConclusionsConsuming less processed meat and more fish and seafood and unprocessed poultry was associated with decreases in waist circumference and triglycerides among US mainland Puerto Ricans. Other dietary protein sources were not related to cardiometabolic health.

Dataset Information

The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults: challenges and opportunities.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study, a longitudinal cohort study on health disparities in Puerto Rican adults: challenges and opportunities.

Similar Datasets

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