Variation in adult asthma prevalence in Hispanic subpopulations in New York City.
BACKGROUND
We compared asthma prevalence among New York City Hispanics-Puerto Rican, Dominican, and other Hispanics-in relation to nativity, socioeconomic status, and asthma risk factors.


METHODS
Weighted logistic regression analyses on telephone survey data for New York City (NYC) adults in 2003/2004.


RESULTS
Asthma prevalence was highest among Puerto Ricans (11.8%) compared with Dominicans and other Hispanics. Non-US-born Dominicans and other Hispanics were significantly less likely to report current asthma than were Puerto Ricans (OR = 0.27, 95% CI 0.18-0.41 and OR = 0.17, 95% CI 0.11-0.26, respectively). In multivariate analyses, US-born Dominicans and other Hispanics had rates comparable to Puerto Ricans.


CONCLUSIONS
Puerto Ricans, both mainland- and native-born, report the highest rates of adult asthma. Non-US-born Hispanics report lower rates. Acculturation and patterns of residential settlement may account for this variation.
Dumanovsky
Tamara
T
Division of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York, USA. tdumanov@health.nyc.gov
Matte
Thomas D
TD
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016902:Air Pollution, Indoor; D001249:Asthma / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors