141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

285798
AIDS survival among latinos: Disparities by country/region of birth

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Diana Sheehan, MPH , Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Department of Epidemiology, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Valerie Pelletier, MD, MPH , Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Department of epidemiology, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Mary Jo Trepka, MD, MSPH , Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Department of epidemiology, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Kristopher P. Fennie, MPH, PhD , Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Department of epidemiology, Florida International University, Miami, FL
Lorene Maddox, MPH , Bureau of HIV/AIDS, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, FL
Spencer Lieb, MPH , Florida Consortium for HIV/AIDS Research, The AIDS Institute, Tampa, FL
Background: The objective of this study was to describe survival patterns among Latinos diagnosed with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) between the years 1996 – 2004 and reported to the Florida human immunodeficiency virus/AIDS surveillance system. Methods: Vital status was ascertained by linkage with Florida Vital Records, the Social Security Death Master File and the National Death Index. Data were analyzed in SAS. Weighted Cox Regression was used to address non-proportionality. Adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) were calculated for race/ethnic group and for Latinos (of any race) by country/region of birth. Race/ethnic AHR were controlled for gender, age, transmission category, and year of diagnosis. Results: Of 44,608 individuals diagnosed with AIDS, 16,997 died between 1996-2007. Included were 7,421 Latinos of whom 31.9% (2,368) died. Among Latinos, 668 (9%) cases were missing country of birth information. There was no difference in survival between United States (U.S.)-born Latinos and U.S.-born non-Latino whites (AHR: 0.94 [95% CI 0.84-1.05]). When compared to U.S.-born Latinos, shorter survival was associated with being born in Cuba (AHR: 1.42 [95% CI 1.21-1.66]); and Puerto Rico (AHR: 1.31 [95% CI 1.13-1.52]). Longer survival was associated with being born in South America (AHR: 0.67 [95% CI 0.53-0.86]). Conclusions: AIDS survival among U.S.-born Latinos living in Florida is similar to U.S-born non-Latino whites. Significant differences exist among foreign-born Latinos when compared to U.S.-born Latinos that persist after controlling for relevant confounders.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Epidemiology

Learning Objectives:
Describe AIDS survival among Latinos in Florida diagnosed between 1996 and 2004. Describe AIDS survival among Latinos living in Florida by country/region of birth. Identify disparities in survival among Latinos living in Florida by country/region of birth.

Keywords: HIV/AIDS, Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a doctoral student under the guidance of Dr. Mary Jo Trepka, who has vast experience as an epidemiologist for the CDC and the Miami-Dade Department of Health. Dr. Trepka has worked extensively with HIV/AIDS surveillance data and personally supervised my current epidemiologic analysis. Among my interest is Latino HIV/AIDS health disparities by country/region of birth and I am the first author of a systematic review paper on this topic that is under review.
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.