Hispanic

Asthma and Hispanics

Hispanic individuals trace their ancestry to countries that were previously under Spanish rule, including Mexico, large parts of Central and South America, and some Caribbean islands. Most—but not all—Hispanics have variable proportions of European, Amerindian, and African ancestry. Hispanics are diverse with regard to many factors, including racial ancestry, country of origin, area of residence, socioeconomic status, education, and access to health care. Recent findings suggest that there is marked variation in the prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of asthma in Hispanics in the United States and in Hispanic America. The reasons for differences in asthma and asthma morbidity among and within Hispanic subgroups are poorly understood but are likely due to the interaction between yet-unidentified genetic variants and other factors, including environmental tobacco smoke exposure, obesity, allergen exposure, and availability of health care. Barriers to optimal management of asthma in Hispanics in the United States and in Hispanic America include inadequate access to health care, suboptimal use of antiinflammatory medications, and lack of reference values for spirometric measures of lung function in many subgroups (e.g., Puerto Ricans). Future studies of asthma in Hispanics should include large samples of subgroups that are well characterized with regard to self-reported ethnicity, country of origin, place of birth, area of residence, and indicators of socioeconomic status. Because Hispanics are disproportionately represented among the poor in the United States, implementation of adequate access to health care and social reforms (e.g., improving housing conditions) would likely have a major impact on reducing asthma morbidity in this population.

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Diabetes

According to a national examination survey, Mexican Americans are almost twice as likely as non-Hispanic whites to be diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.  They have higher rates of end-stage renal disease, caused by diabetes, and they are 50% more likely to die from diabetes as non-Hispanic whites.

• Mexican American adults are 1.7 times more likely than non-Hispanic white adults to have been diagnosed with diabetes by a physician.
• In 2006, Hispanics were 1.7 times as likely to start treatment for end-stage renal disease related to diabetes, compared to non-Hispanic white men.
• In 2006, Hispanics were 1.5 times as likely as non-Hispanic Whites to die from diabetes.

At a glance – Diagnosed Cases of Diabetes:

Mexican American:    12.4
Non-Hispanic White:    6.2
Mexican American/Non- Hispanic White Ratio:    1.9

Source:  CDC, 2009. Health United States, 2008. Table 54.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hus/hus08.pdf [PDF | 12.2MB]

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Cardiovascular

In general, Hispanic American adults are 10% less likely to have coronary heart disease than non-Hispanic white adults.  They are also less likely to die from heart disease than non-Hispanic white adults. 

• In 2007, Hispanics were 10% less likely to have heart disease, compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• In 2006, Hispanic men and women were 30% less likely to die from heart disease, compared to non-Hispanic whites.
• Mexican American women were 1.3 times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to be obese.

Age-adjusted percentages of coronary heart disease among persons 18 years of age and over, 2007

Mexican American:    5.7
Non-Hispanic White:    6.2
Mexican American/Non- Hispanic White Ratio:    0.9

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Tuberculosis

In 1985, 22,201 tuberculosis cases were reported to CDC, for a rate of 9.3/100,000 U.S. population (1). Fourteen percent (3,134) of the 22,067 patients with known ethnicity were Hispanic. Ninety-seven percent (3,032) of these Hispanics were white. The rate among Hispanics was 18.1/100,000, which is 4 times the rate of 4.5/100,000 for the non-Hispanic white population.

Tuberculosis cases among Hispanics were reported from 11% (337) of the nation's 3,138 counties (Figure 1). California reported 40% (1,239) of the cases among Hispanics; Texas, 23% (731); New York, 13% (394); and all other states combined, 25% (770).

Thirty-four percent (1,064) of the 3,134 Hispanic patients were born in the United States, including 5% (169) from Puerto Rico. Forty-two percent (1,306) were foreign- born. There was no information on place of birth for 24% (764). Country of origin was known for 1,284 of the foreign-born patients. Of these, 62% (799) were from Mexico; 6% (81) were from Cuba; 5% (70) were from El Salvador; and 26% (334) were from 29 other countries. Twenty-three percent (219) of the 944 foreign-born patients with known year of arrival developed tuberculosis within their first year of residence in the United States; 11% developed it within their second year of residence.

Forty-eight percent (1,503) of the 3,132 patients with known age were less than 35 years of age, and 11% (350) were less than 15 years. Foreign-born patients were even younger. Of these, 57% (535) were less than 35 years of age when tuberculosis was reported, and an additional 17% (157) were less than 35 years of age when they arrived in the United States. Reported by: Div of Tuberculosis Control, Center for Prevention Svcs, CDC.

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