UIC to share Chicago findings from Hispanic health study
WHAT:
Findings from the first phase of the largest-ever health study of Hispanics/Latinos will be presented at a community forum by Dr. Martha Daviglus, director of the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for Minority Health Research and principal investigator for the Chicago Field Center of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Study participants and community leaders and city/public health officials will be present.
The multi-city, epidemiological study included 16,415 Hispanic/Latino participants of diverse national origins, age 18 to 74, from Chicago, San Diego, the Bronx, and Miami. This study is sponsored by contracts from National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and six other institutes, centers and offices of the NIH.
Findings from the Hispanic Community Health Study/ Study of Latinos as a whole and by study site will be released by the NIH on Monday at 10 am Central Time. Findings from the 4,136 Chicago participants will be presented for the first time.
“These results reveal a unique set of health problems and risk factors of Hispanics/Latinos of diverse backgrounds,” Daviglus said. The study looked at cardiovascular disease risk factors, diet and physical activity, diabetes, asthma, depression, sleep disorders, dental health, and health insurance coverage.
WHEN:
Monday, Feb. 24, 10 a.m.
WHERE:
UIC Student Center West 828 S. Wolcott Ave.
DETAILS:
During the first phase of the study, from 2007 through last May, participants underwent extensive health examinations to assess their risk factors for cardiovascular and other chronic diseases. They answered questions about their health, diet, and other lifestyle factors and were followed for four years with annual phone calls or home visits to determine any changes in health status.
In the second phase of the study, which began in June, participants will undergo a second examination and will be followed for six more years.
UIC’s Institute for Minority Health Research will manage the Chicago portion of the second phase of the HCHS/SOL study. The first phase of the Chicago portion of the study was managed by Northwestern University with Daviglus as its principal investigator.
