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Yvonne Flores, PhD, MPH¹, Hal F. Yee, MD², Mei Leng, MS³, José Escarce, MD³, Roshan Bastani, PhD⁴, Jorge Salmerón, MD, DrSc⁵, and Leo Morales, MD, PhD³. (1) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles Young Drive South, A2-125 CHS, Box 956900, Los Angeles, CA 90095-6900, (310) 794-9280, ynflores@ucla.edu, (2) Department of Medicine and Rice Liver Center Laboratory, UCSF, 1001 Potrero Avenue, Bldg 40, Rm 4102, San Francisco, CA 94110, (3) Department of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research, UCLA, 911 Broxton Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, (4) Department of Health Services, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, Box 951722, Los Angeles, CA 90095, (5) Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Av. Plan de Ayala S/N, Esq. Calle Central, Col. Chapultepec, Cuernavaca, 62450, Mexico

Background: The frequency of hepatic disorders varies significantly by race and ethnicity: 45% in Latinos, 33% in Whites, and 24% in African Americans. We hypothesized that this variation in rates may be associated with variations in risk factors for cirrhosis and other liver diseases.

Objective: To examine the prevalence of specific risk factors for liver disease by race and ethnicity, using data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), a nationally representative study.

Methods: The prevalence of six risk factors for liver disease was examined using logistic regression. Our sample size included 3,921 African Americans, 4,309 Latinos, and 6,137 Whites. All analyses account for the complex sampling design used for NHANES III.

Results: After controlling for age, sex, education, income, census region and population density, Latinos were more likely than Whites to have abnormal abnormal liver function tests (LFTs), hepatitis B or C, obesity and diabetes, and they were likely to report lower alcohol consumption; African Americans were more likely than Whites to have hepatitis B or C, obesity and diabetes, and they reported a lower consumption of alcohol. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome was not significantly different between African Americans, Latinos, and Whites. Latinos were more than twice as likely as whites to have elevated LFTs. All reported results are significant at the p<0.05 level.

Conclusions: Our results indicate the prevalence of some risk factors for liver disease varies by race and ethnicity. This information can be used to tailor screening and prevention strategies.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the differences in risk factors for liver disease among African Americans, Latinos, and Whites in the U.S.

Keywords: Chronic Diseases, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered