Cancer statistics for the US Hispanic/Latino population, 2021

The Hispanic/Latino population is the second largest racial/ethnic group in the continental United States and Hawaii, accounting for 18% (60.6 million) of the total population. An additional 3 million Hispanic Americans live in Puerto Rico. Every 3 years, the American Cancer Society reports on cancer occurrence, risk factors, and screening for Hispanic individuals in the United States using the most recent population-based data. An estimated 176,600 new cancer cases and 46,500 cancer deaths will occur among Hispanic individuals in the continental United States and Hawaii in 2021. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites (NHWs), Hispanic men and women had 25%-30% lower incidence (2014-2018) and mortality (2015-2019) rates for all cancers combined and lower rates for the most common cancers, although this gap is diminishing. For example, the colorectal cancer (CRC) incidence rate ratio for Hispanic compared with NHW individuals narrowed from 0.75 (95% CI, 0.73-0.78) in 1995 to 0.91 (95% CI, 0.89-0.93) in 2018, reflecting delayed declines in CRC rates among Hispanic individuals in part because of slower uptake of screening. In contrast, Hispanic individuals have higher rates of infection-related cancers, including approximately two-fold higher incidence of liver and stomach cancer. Cervical cancer incidence is 32% higher among Hispanic women in the continental US and Hawaii and 78% higher among women in Puerto Rico compared to NHW women, yet is largely preventable through screening. Less access to care may be similarly reflected in the low prevalence of localized-stage breast cancer among Hispanic women, 59% versus 67% among NHW women. Evidence-based strategies for decreasing the cancer burden among the Hispanic population include the use of culturally appropriate lay health advisors and patient navigators and targeted, community-based intervention programs to facilitate access to screening and promote healthy behaviors. In addition, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer trends and disparities in the Hispanic population should be closely monitored.     

Cognitive behavioral stress management intervention improves quality of life in spanish monolingual hispanic men treated for localized prostate cancer: Results of a randomized controlled trial

Background: The efficacy of a group-based psychosocial intervention with ethnic minority health populations may depend on consideration for cultural factors that can interact with group processes. Purpose: The current study explored the efficacy of a 10-week group-based cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) intervention that was linguistically and culturally adapted for use with Hispanic monolingual men recently treated for localized prostate carcinoma (PC). Methods: 71 Hispanic monolingual Spanish speakers were randomly assigned to a 10-week CBSM intervention or a half-day stress management seminar (control condition). Hierarchical regression was used to predict post-intervention QoL. Results: After controlling for relevant covariates, assignment to the CBSM condition significantly predicted greater physical well-being, emotional well-being, sexual functioning, and total well-being after the 10-week intervention period. Conclusions: Results suggest that participation in a culturally and linguistically adapted CBSM group intervention improved QoL in Hispanic monolingual men treated for localized PC. This study was supported by National Cancer Institute grants 1P50CA84944 and U01CA86117.     

Structural social support and cardiovascular disease risk factors in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes: results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)

Objective(s): Cross-sectional and longitudinal studies have yielded inconsistent findings on the associations of social support networks with cardiovascular health in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. We examined the cross-sectional associations of structural social support and traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in a diverse sample of Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes.

Research Design and Methods: This analysis included 2994 adult participants ages 18–74 with diabetes from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL – 2008–2011). Select items from the Social Network Inventory (SNI) were used to assess indices of structural social support, i.e. network size (number of children, parents, and in-laws) and frequency of familial contact. Standardized methods were used to measure abdominal obesity, BMI, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and smoking status. Multivariate regression was used to examine associations of structural support with individual CVD risk factors with demographics, acculturation, physical health, and psychological ill-being (depressive symptoms and anxiety) included as covariates.

Results: There were no significant cross-sectional associations of structural support indices with abdominal obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, or smoking status. There was a marginally significant (OR: 1.05; 95%CI 0.99–1.11) trend toward higher odds of obesity in participants reporting a larger family unit (including children, parents, and in-laws) and those with closer ties with extended family relatives (OR: 1.04; 95%CI 0.99–1.09).

Conclusions: Structural social support was marginally associated with higher odds of obesity in Hispanic/Latino adults with diabetes. Alternate forms of social support (e.g. healthcare professionals, friends, peers) should be further explored as potential markers of cardiac risk in Hispanics/Latinos with diabetes.     

Sex ratio,poverty, and concurrent partnerships among men and women in the United States: a multilevel analysis

PurposeSocial and economic contextual factors may promote concurrent sexual partnerships, which can accelerate population HIV transmission and are more common among African Americans than U.S. Whites. We investigated the relationship between contextual factors and concurrency.MethodsWe analyzed past 12-month concurrency prevalence in the 2002 National Survey of Family Growth and its contextual database in relation to county sex ratio (among respondent's racial and ethnic group), percentage in poverty (among respondent's racial and ethnic group), and violent crime rate. Analyses examined counties with balanced (0.95–1.05 males/female) or low (<0.9) sex ratios.ResultsConcurrency prevalence was greater (odds ratio [OR]; 95% confidence interval [CI]) in counties with low sex ratios (OR, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.17–2.39), more poverty (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 0.98–1.42 per 10 percentage-point increase), and higher crime rates (OR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.00–1.09 per 1000 population/year). Notably, 99.5% of Whites and 93.7% of Hispanics, but only 7.85% of Blacks, lived in balanced sex ratio counties; about 5% of Whites, half of Hispanics, and three-fourths of Blacks resided in counties with >20% same-race poverty.ConclusionsThe dramatic Black-White differences in contextual factors in the United States and their association with sexual concurrency could contribute to the nation's profound racial disparities in HIV infection.     

Agricultural Injury in California Hispanic Farm Workers: MICASA Follow-up Survey

ABSTRACT

The authors report here results from the first follow-up survey of the Mexican Immigration to California: Agricultural Safety and Acculturation (MICASA) cohort of community-dwelling immigrant Hispanic farm workers in California's Central Valley. Among 560 participants the authors observed cumulative 1-year injury incidence of 6.6% (all injuries) and 4.3% (agricultural injuries). Increased prospective injury risk was associated with males, US birth, years lived in the United States, family income, and poor self-rated health. Agricultural injuries were associated most frequently with being struck by an object, falls, and cutting instruments, whereas over two thirds of nonagricultural injuries involved motor vehicles. Prevention should focus on safe handling of tools and materials, falls, and motor vehicle safety.     

Phylogenetic and forensic studies of the Southeast Florida Hispanic population using the next-generation forensic PowerPlex® Y23 STR marker system

The purpose of this study is to examine the robustness and sensitivity of the newly available Y-STR multiplex kit, the PowerPlex® Y23 System, by comparing our data at the 23-loci level to the routinely used 17 loci provided by the AmpFlSTR® Yfiler® PCR Amplification kit. For the first time, allelic and genotypic frequencies for the 23 Y-STR loci included in the PowerPlex® Y23 System are provided for the Southeast Florida Hispanic (SFH) population. In addition, we have characterized the SFH population in terms of intra-population and inter-population parameters. We also compared these indices of forensic and population genetics interest in the SFH population to comparable data of previously published populations to assess their phylogenetic relationships. Our 23-loci data was shown to provide more discriminatory values as compared to the data when using only 17 loci. Also, the R_ST distance values demonstrate the superior capacity of the PowerPlex® Y23 system to discriminate among populations.     

Physical activity characteristics and depressive symptoms in older Latino adults

BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) has been consistently associated with fewer depressive symptoms in observational and intervention studies. Emphasis on leisure-time PA, reliance on self report measures of PA, and lack of inclusion of racial/ethnic minority populations have contributed to uncertainty regarding the minimal and optimal dose (minutes/day), intensity (i.e., light, moderate, or vigorous), bout duration (i.e., incidental vs. 10-min bouts), and domain (i.e., leisure-time, occupational, and household) of PA for reducing and preventing depressive symptoms across diverse populations.PurposeTo investigate the relationship between PA characteristics (i.e., dose, intensity, bout duration, and domain) and depressive symptoms in older Latinos using both objective and subjective measures of PA.MethodsOlder Latinos (n = 174) completed questionnaires and wore accelerometers for seven days. Accelerometer output provided daily minutes of sedentary, light, and moderate-vigorous PA (MVPA) overall and in 10-min bouts. The Community Healthy Activity Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) questionnaire provided daily minutes of leisure-time PA, household PA, and sedentary activities. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to predict Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) score.ResultsAfter controlling for established correlates of depressive symptoms (i.e., demographics, acculturation, and health characteristics), MVPA in ≥10-min bouts independently predicted fewer depressive symptoms (β = ?.231, ΔR2 = .052, p ≤ .01) and household PA greater depressive symptoms (β = .263, ΔR2 = .056, p ≤ .001).ConclusionsResults suggest that PA intensity, bout duration, and domain influence the strength and direction of the relationship between PA and depressive symptoms in older Latino adults.     

Antimicrobial Resistance in Hispanic Patients Hospitalized in San Antonio,TX with Community-Acquired Pneumonia

Abstract

Limited information is available on the antimicrobial resistance of patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) depending on their ethnicity. Our aim was to compare the clinical characteristics, etiology, and microbiological resistance of Hispanic versus non-Hispanic white patients. A retrospective cohort of 601 patients with a diagnosis of CAP included 288 non-Hispanic whites and 313 Hispanics. Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae was more common among Hispanic patients (21.7% vs 0%; P = 0.03) but there were no significant differences in macrolide-resistant S pneumoniae, drug-resistant S pneumoniae, or potential or actual multidrug-resistant pathogens (eg, drug-resistant S pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas spp., and Acinetobacter spp.). There were no differences among groups in length of hospital stay, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, or 30-day mortality. This study suggests that Hispanic patients with CAP have a higher rate of penicillin-resistant S pneumoniae, but no differences in antimicrobial resistance, 30-day mortality, ICU admission, or length of stay when compared with non-Hispanic white patients.     

Ten-year trends (1992 to 2002) in sociodemographic predictors and indicators of alcohol abuse and dependence among whites, blacks, and Hispanics in the United States

Background: The objective of this paper is to examine 10‐year trends (1992 to 2002) in the number and type of indicators of DSM‐IV abuse and dependence among whites, blacks, and Hispanics in the United States. Methods: Data are from the 1991 to 1992 National Longitudinal Alcohol Epidemiologic Survey (NLAES; n = 42,862) and the 2001 to 2002 National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC; n = 43,093). Both surveys used multistage cluster sample procedures to select respondents 18 years of age and older from the U.S. household population. Results: Increases in the prevalence of alcohol abuse between 1992 and 2002 seem associated with a rise in the prevalence of the indicator for “hazardous use.” which usually means reports of driving after drinking. The decrease in dependence was not associated with changes in a particular indicator. In addition, both in 1992 and 2002, 12.3 to 15.4% of the men and 5.2 to 7.9% of the women were diagnostic “orphans.” These respondents reported 1 or 2 indicators of alcohol dependence as present. Conclusions: The observed trends in number and types of indicators of DSM‐IV alcohol abuse and dependence were probably triggered by a complex interplay between individuals’ volume and pattern of drinking and reactions from the drinkers’ social environment. The close association between hazardous use of alcohol and the prevalence of abuse deserves further discussion. A medical diagnostic category should not be so dependent on a criterion that may be influenced by social situations. It is necessary to understand more about diagnostic “orphans” to better design interventions to address their problems.