Large-scale Hispanic Community Health Study to Begin in Four Cities

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced on October 12 the most ambitious long-term epidemiological study of health and disease of the Hispanic population in the United States. The study will focus on those who identify themselves as Hispanics or Latinos, but will emphasize Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cuban Americans, and Central/South Americans.

The Hispanic Community Health Study will address a wide variety of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, sleep disorders, dental disease, hearing impairment and tinnitus, diabetes, kidney and liver disease, and cognitive impairment.

The study will assess such physical risk factors as diet, physical activity, obesity, smoking, blood pressure, as well as social and economic disparity, psychosocial factors, occupation, health care access, the environment, and medication and supplement use.

In addition, the study will assess the risk of developing chronic diseases posed by immigration and acculturation to living in this country. For this reason, the study will include people from different geographic areas and national origins. The four sites are Bronx, NY, Chicago, IL, Miami, FL, and San Diego, CA.