180604 Neighborhood ethnic composition and infectious biomarkers among Mexican Americans

Wednesday, October 29, 2008: 12:50 PM

Carlos A. Reyes-Ortiz, MD, PhD , Dept. Social & Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of NorthTexas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
James S. Goodwin, MD , Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
Hyunsu Ju, PhD , Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
Karl Eschbach, PhD , Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX
Infectious diseases are highly prevalent in developing countries or developing areas within a country. Latino neighborhood “=barrio” in the U. S. may be not the exception. Indeed, Latino “barrio” is characterized by increased rates of infectious-related cancers such as cervical, hepatic, or stomach cancer. The objective of this study is to determine the association between ethnic concentration and seroprevalence of infections among Mexican American men and women aged 17 years and over. Data were the NHANES III (1988-94), linked to Census (1990). Outcomes were seroprevalence of infectious biomarkers including herpes virus I and II, Helicobacter pylori, Hepatitis virus A, B and C. Percent of Hispanics at the census tract level was used as a proxy for neighborhood ethnic concentration. In age and gender adjusted analyses, Mexican Americans living in high concentrated Hispanic neighborhoods (less acculturated or Latino ‘barrios') were significantly more likely to have a positive seroprevalence for herpes I, Helicobacter pylori, and Hepatitis A compared to Mexican Americans living in low concentrated Hispanic neighborhoods. Because these infections have oral -person to person- or enteric –waterborne-transmissions, our results suggest that the environment of the Latino ‘barrio' may facilitate their transmission (e.g., crowding conditions). Also, a high concentration of foreign born Mexican Americans in the “barrio” may explain this high prevalence. On the other hand, the high prevalence of Helicobacter pylori, with its carcinogenic effect, may be a potential explanation why those Hispanics living in ‘barrios' tend to have greater rates of infectious-related cancers such as stomach cancer.

Learning Objectives:
Determine the association between ethnic concentration and seroprevalence of infections among Mexican Americans Discuss potential public health implications for a high prevalence of infectious diseases in Latino neighborhoods “=barrios”

Keywords: Latinos, Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I made the design, part of the analyses, wrote the abstract, interpreted the results. Other authors participated in part of the analyses, interpretation of results, review and edition of abstract.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.