Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)
What is the goal of the HCHS/SOL?
The Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) is the most comprehensive study of Hispanic/Latino health and disease in the United States. The primary goals of the HCHS/SOL are to describe: (1) the prevalence of selected chronic diseases, especially cardiovascular and pulmonary conditions, including heart disease, stroke, asthma, COPD, sleep disorders; (2) the risk and/or protective factors associated with these conditions; and (3) the relationship between the initial health profiles and future health events in a cohort of Hispanics and Latinos from diverse heritage groups living in the United States.
The first contract period of the HCHS/SOL (2006-2013), during which the initial exam was performed, was co-funded by the NHLBI, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the National Institute of Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), the National Institute on Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), the National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), and the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements. The current contract period (2013-2018) is co-funded by the NHLBI and NIDDK. To date, the HCHS/SOL has collected data on a wide variety of conditions, including heart disease, stroke, asthma, COPD, sleep disorders, dental disease, hearing disorders, diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, and cognitive function.
- The HCHS/SOL is the most comprehensive long-term study of health and disease in Hispanics and Latinos living in the United States.
- The study enrolled over 16,000 Hispanic and Latino adults from four U.S. communities.
- Study data will pave the way for future research into possible causes of health disparities among Hispanic and Latino communities.
What are the key findings from the HCHS/SOL?
The HCHS/SOL study found a comparable or higher burden of cardiovascular disease risk among all major U.S. Hispanic and Latino groups, compared to non-Hispanic whites living in the United States. Additionally, study data showed considerable differences among Hispanics of various backgrounds. It has been shown that 71 percent of Hispanic and Latina women and 80 percent of Hispanic and Latino men have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
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How is the HCHS/SOL conducted?
The study recruited over 16,000 Hispanic and Latino adults and included those with family roots in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Central America, and South America. Participants have been followed at four centers affiliated with San Diego State University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx area of New York, and the University of Miami. A research Coordinating Center at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill has provided additional scientific and logistical support.
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As director of the HCHS/SOL, Larissa Avilés-Santa is leading efforts to gather critical data on the health of Hispanic and Latino people—the largest minority group in the United States. She hopes the study will ultimately lead to strategies that can minimize the underlying causes of chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes that often burden this community, opportunities for innovative prevention research, and the enhancement of the careers of early stage investigators interested in Hispanic health, and those of Hispanic background.
