Design and implementation of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.
OBJECTIVE
The Hispanic Community Health Study (HCHS)/Study of Latinos (SOL) is a comprehensive multicenter community based cohort study of Hispanics/Latinos in the United States.


METHODS
The Study rationale, objectives, design, and implementation are described in this report.


RESULTS
The HCHS/SOL will recruit 16,000 men and women who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino, 18 to 74 years of age, from a random sample of households in defined communities in the Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego. The sites were selected so that the overall sample would consist of at least 2000 persons in each of the following origin designations: Mexican, Puerto Rican and Dominican, Cuban, and Central and South American. The study includes research in the prevalence of and risk factors for heart, lung, blood and sleep disorders, kidney and liver function, diabetes, cognitive function, dental conditions, and hearing disorders.


CONCLUSIONS
The HCHS/SOL will (1) characterize the health status and disease burden in the largest minority population in the United States; (2) describe the positive and negative consequences of immigration and acculturation of Hispanics/Latinos to the mainstream United States life-styles, environment and health care opportunities; and (3) identify likely causal factors of many diseases in a population with diverse environmental exposures, genetic backgrounds, and early life experiences.
Sorlie
Paul D
PD
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. SorlieP@mail.nih.gov
Avilés-Santa
Larissa M
LM
Wassertheil-Smoller
Sylvia
S
Kaplan
Robert C
RC
Daviglus
Martha L
ML
Giachello
Aida L
AL
Schneiderman
Neil
N
Raij
Leopoldo
L
Talavera
Gregory
G
Allison
Matthew
M
Lavange
Lisa
L
Chambless
Lloyd E
LE
Heiss
Gerardo
G
D000069:Acculturation; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002140:California; D002641:Chicago; D003151:Community Health Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D005260:Female; D005378:Financial Support; D005431:Florida; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans / Q000208:ethnology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009519:New York City; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult