184539 Somos Diferentes/We're All Different: Breaking Down the Hispanic Paradox, NHIS 1997-2003

Tuesday, October 28, 2008: 5:06 PM

Cassandra Arroyo, PhD , Assistant Prof of Epidemiology Jiann Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Yong Liu, MS , Social Epidemiology Research Center, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
Krista D. Mincey, MPH , Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Sharon Davis, PhD , Social Epidemiology Research Center, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
The Hispanic Paradox has traditionally referred to the fact that Hispanics have been shown to have health outcomes that are unexpectedly equal to or better than non-Hispanic whites in the United States, despite Hispanics typically having less favorable socioeconomic status. The Hispanic population in the US is a very diverse population with different diets, sociopolitical climates in the country of origin, and even different immigration patterns. Despite this within group diversity, research in support of the Hispanic Paradox has failed to acknowledge this diversity in the analysis. To describe diabetes, hypertension, and obesity prevalence trends among US Hispanics age-standardized prevalence was calculated for the time period of 1997-2003. Data are taken from the National Health Interview Survey and were limited to respondents age 18 years or older who identified as Hispanic. Age-standardized prevalence estimates were examined graphically to qualitatively describe gender, level of education, racial/ethnic and subgroup differences. Overall increases in age-standardized prevalence of obesity, hypertension and diabetes between 1997 and 2003 were 4%, 1.4%, and 0.8% respectively. The increases were consistent across gender but with some variations across levels of education. Graphical displays of the prevalence show age-adjusted prevalence rates consistent with what is expected under the Hispanic Paradox when comparing Hispanics as an aggregated group compared to non-Hispanic Black and White respondents. However, when Hispanics are disaggregated into subgroups by country of origin, the graphical displays reveal interesting variations in the age-adjusted prevalence rates. These preliminary results suggest that opportunities for targeted interventions may be overlooked if researchers continue to aggregate data on the Hispanic population in the US. Diabetes and heart disease are preventable, but missed intervention opportunities have major implications on the cost associated with treatment and management.

Learning Objectives:
1. Participants will be able to define the hispanic paradox. 2. Participants will be able to describe differences in prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension among Hispanic subgroups in the US. 3. Participants will be able to discuss the implications of these subgroup differences for targeted interventions and future research.

Keywords: Hispanic, Health Disparities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have a PhD in Biostatistics with a minor in Social and Behavioral Determinants of Disease. I have completed a postdoctoral fellowship in quantitative cardiovascular social epidemiology at Morehouse School of Medicine in the Social Epidemiology Research Center. I have conducted research prior to this abstract on Hispanic health using national databases, including HHANES, NHANES, and Hispanic EPESE. I am currently involved in a community-based initiative with a migrant farmworker health clinic.
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.