title: Understanding ethnic and nativity-related differences in low cardiovascular risk status among Mexican-Americans and non-Hispanic Whites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent guidelines highlight the importance of improving cardiovascular health in the general population in addition to disease prevention among high risk individuals. We investigated factors associated with ethnic and nativity-related differences in the prevalence of low cardiovascular risk (optimal levels of all major cardiovascular risk factors).
  
  
  METHODS
  We used logistic regression to estimate differences in likelihood of being low risk (not currently smoking; no diabetes; untreated total cholesterol <200mg/dL; untreated blood pressure <120/<80; and body mass index <25 kg/m(2)) among 8693 foreign- and U.S.-born Mexican-American and non-Hispanic White 2003-2008 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey participants before and after adjustment for socioeconomic, lifestyle, and acculturation-related factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Foreign-born Mexican-Americans were more likely to be low risk than non-Hispanic Whites after adjustment for all covariates (Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.53; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.00, 2.34). In contrast, U.S.-born Mexican-Americans were less likely to be low risk compared to Whites (OR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.43, 0.84). Differences between foreign-born and U.S.-born Mexican-Americans were largely attenuated after adjustment for acculturation indicators.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings support the healthy migrant hypothesis and suggest that acculturation-related factors may be important drivers of ethnic and nativity-related differences in low cardiovascular risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. k-kershaw@northwestern.edu
authors.forename: Kiarri N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Kershaw
authors.forename: Kurt J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Greenlund
authors.forename: Jeremiah
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stamler
authors.forename: Christina M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Shay
authors.forename: Martha L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Daviglus
mesh_terms: D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008800:Mexico / Q000208:ethnology; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D044465:White People