Childhood and Life-Course Socioeconomic Position and Cognitive Function in the Adult Population of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

The Hispanic/Latino population experiences socioeconomic adversities across the lifespan and is at greater risk of cognitive impairment, yet little is known about the role of life-course socioeconomic position (SEP) in cognitive function in this population. Using baseline data (2008-2011) from adults (aged 45-74 years) of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, we assessed the association between childhood SEP and socioeconomic mobility with cognitive function, and whether this association was mediated by midlife SEP. Childhood SEP was assessed using parental education. An index combining participants' education and household income represented midlife SEP. Socioeconomic mobility was categorized as stable low, downward or upward mobility, and stable high-SEP. Cognitive function measures were modeled using survey linear regression with inverse-probability weighting, accounting for covariates. We used mediation analysis to estimate the indirect effect of childhood SEP on cognition through midlife SEP. High childhood SEP was associated with global cognition in adulthood (coefficient for parental education beyond high school vs. less than high school = 0.26, 95% confidence interval: 0.15, 0.37). This association was partially mediated through midlife SEP (indirect effect coefficient = 0.16, 95% confidence interval: 0.15, 0.18). Low SEP through the life course was associated with the lowest cognitive function. This study provides evidence that life-course SEP influences cognitive performance in adulthood.

Associations of steps per day and step intensity with the risk of diabetes: the Hispanic Community Health Study / Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

BACKGROUND: Higher levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity have been associated with a lower risk of diabetes, but less is known about how daily step counts (steps/day) are associated with diabetes risk. Therefore, we examined the association of steps/day and step intensity with incident diabetes. METHODS: We included 6634 adults from the population-based prospective cohort Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) (2008-2017). Cox proportional hazard models that accounted for complex survey design and sampling weights were used to estimate the association of baseline accelerometer-assessed steps/day and step intensity with 6-year risk of incident diabetes as hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). We further examined whether the percent of intense steps at a given accumulation of steps/day was associated with diabetes risk, and if associations were modified by specific cohort characteristics. RESULTS: The average age of cohort members was 39 years and 52% were female. Adults had an average of 8164 steps/day and spent 12 min/day in brisk ambulation (> 100 steps/min). Over 6 years of follow-up, there were 1115 cases of diabetes. There was a suggestive lower risk of diabetes with more steps/day- adults had a 2% lower risk per 1000 steps/day (HR = 0.98 (95% CI 0.95, 1.00)). Inverse associations between average steps/day and diabetes incidence were observed across many cohort characteristics, but most importantly among adults at high risk for diabetes - those who were older, or had obesity or prediabetes. Adults who accumulated 17 min/day in brisk ambulation compared to < 2 min/day had a 31% lower risk of diabetes (HR = 0.69 (95% CI 0.53, 0.89)). A greater percent of intense steps for a given accumulation of steps/day was associated with further risk reduction. CONCLUSION: Adults who accumulate more daily steps may have a lower risk of diabetes. Accumulating more steps/day and greater step intensity appear to be important targets for preventing diabetes.

Examining the impact of the Cultural Gap Narrative on Family Functioning and Youth Substance Use among the Health Study/Study of latino Youth (HCHS/SOL Youth) population.

The acculturation gap theory provides a complex illustration of how cultural orientations affect health behaviors among adolescents, by assuming that familial cultural orientation gaps lead to compromised family functioning and children adopting negative health behaviors. This analysis used three methods to conceptualize cultural gaps to examine the relationships between familial cultural orientation gaps and family functioning and substance use susceptibility among the Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Hispanic/Latino Youth population. Results did not support the assumptions behind the acculturation gap theory. The methods used to conceptualize cultural gaps did not illustrate consistent underlying trends when measuring the relationship between cultural gaps and substance use susceptibility. There was no evidence of mediation on substance use susceptibility by perceived family functioning for either cultural domains using each method. This analysis underscores the need to refine the framework behind the acculturation gap theory and how cultural gaps are measured among Hispanic/Latino youth.

Serum sphingolipids and incident diabetes in a US population with high diabetes burden: the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

BACKGROUND: Genetic or pharmacological inhibition of de novo sphingolipid synthases prevented diabetes in animal studies. OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate prospective associations of serum sphingolipids with incident diabetes in a population-based cohort. METHODS: We included 2010 participants of the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) aged 18-74 y who were free of diabetes and other major chronic diseases at baseline (2008-2011). Metabolomic profiling of fasting serum was performed using a global, untargeted approach. A total of 43 sphingolipids were quantified and, considering subclasses and chemical structures of individual species, 6 sphingolipid scores were constructed. Diabetes status was assessed using standard procedures including blood tests. Multivariable survey Poisson regressions were applied to estimate RR and 95% CI of incident diabetes associated with individual sphingolipids or sphingolipid scores. RESULTS: There were 224 incident cases of diabetes identified during, on average, 6 y of follow-up. After adjustment for socioeconomic and lifestyle factors, a ceramide score (RR Q4 versus Q1 = 2.40; 95% CI: 1.24, 4.65; P-trend = 0.003) and a score of sphingomyelins with fully saturated sphingoid-fatty acid pairs (RR Q4 versus Q1 = 3.15; 95% CI: 1.75, 5.67; P-trend <0.001) both were positively associated with risk of diabetes, whereas scores of glycosylceramides, lactosylceramides, or other unsaturated sphingomyelins (even if having an SFA base) were not associated with risk of diabetes. After additional adjustment for numerous traditional risk factors (especially triglycerides), both associations were attenuated and only the saturated-sphingomyelin score remained associated with risk of diabetes (RR Q4 versus Q1 = 1.98; 95% CI: 1.09, 3.59; P-trend = 0.031). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that a cluster of saturated sphingomyelins may be associated with elevated risk of diabetes beyond traditional risk factors, which needs to be verified in other population studies. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02060344.