The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study cohort of 1,500 adults aged 45-75 years demonstrated a high baseline prevalence of chronic conditions, including obesity (57%), type 2 diabetes (40%), and hypertension (69%).
Cohort (n=1,500)
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The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study demonstrates successful strategies for recruiting and retaining a hard-to-reach minority population while highlighting a disproportionately high burden of cardiometabolic and psychosocial conditions in older Puerto Rican adults.
BACKGROUND: The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study is an ongoing longitudinal cohort study designed to examine the role of psychosocial stress on presence and development of allostatic load and health outcomes in Puerto Ricans, and potential modification by nutritional status, genetic variation, and social support. METHODS: Self-identified Puerto Ricans, aged 45-75 years and residing in the Boston, MA metro area, were recruited through door-to-door enumeration and community approaches. Participants completed a comprehensive set of questionnaires and tests. Blood, urine and salivary samples were extracted for biomarker and genetic analysis. Measurements are repeated at a two-year follow-up. RESULTS: A total of 1500 eligible participants completed baseline measurements, with nearly 80% two-year follow-up retention. The majority of the cohort is female (70%), and many have less than 8th grade education (48%), and fall below the poverty level (59%). Baseline prevalence of health conditions is high for this age range: considerable physical (26%) and cognitive (7%) impairment, obesity (57%), type 2 diabetes (40%), hypertension (69%), arthritis (50%) and depressive symptomatology (60%). CONCLUSIONS: The enrollment of minority groups presents unique challenges. This report highlights approaches to working with difficult to reach populations, and describes some of the health issues and needs of Puerto Rican older adults. These results may inform future studies and interventions aiming to improve the health of this and similar communities.
Tucker et al. (2010) conducted a cohort in Health disparities and chronic conditions (n=1,500). Psychosocial stress and health disparities was evaluated on Baseline prevalence of chronic health conditions. The Boston Puerto Rican Health Study cohort of 1,500 adults aged 45-75 years demonstrated a high baseline prevalence of chronic conditions, including obesity (57%), type 2 diabetes (40%), and hypertension (69%).