Cardiovascular risk factors in Mexican American adults: a transcultural analysis of NHANES III, 1988-1994.
OBJECTIVE
This study examined the extent to which cardiovascular disease risk factors differ among subgroups of Mexican Americans living in the United States.


METHODS
Using data from a national sample (1988-1994) of 1387 Mexican American women and 1404 Mexican American men, aged 25 to 64 years, we examined an estimate of coronary heart disease mortality risk and 5 primary cardiovascular disease risk factors: systolic blood pressure, body mass index, cigarette smoking, non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Differences in risk were evaluated by country of birth and primary language spoken.


RESULTS
Estimated 10-year coronary heart disease mortality risk per 1000 persons, adjusted for age and education, was highest for US-born Spanish-speaking men and women (27.5 and 11.4, respectively), intermediate for US-born English-speaking men and women (22.5 and 7.0), and lowest for Mexican-born men and women (20.0 and 6.6). A similar pattern of higher risk among US-born Spanish-speaking men and women was demonstrated for each of the 5 cardiovascular disease risk factors.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings illustrate the heterogeneity of the Mexican American population and identify a new group at substantial risk for cardiovascular disease and in need of effective heart disease prevention programs.
Sundquist
J
J
Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1825, USA. Jan_Sundquist@scrdp.stanford.edu
Winkleby
M A
MA
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects