Acylcarnitines are associated with lower depressive symptomatology in a mainland puerto rican cohort.

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies have implicated acetyl-L-carnitine as well as other acylcarnitines in depression. To our knowledge, no untargeted metabolomics studies have been conducted among US mainland Puerto Ricans. OBJECTIVES: We conducted untargeted metabolomic profiling on plasma from 736 participants of the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study. METHODS: Using Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis, we identified metabolite modules associated with depressive symptomatology, assessed via the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. We identified metabolites contributing to these modules and assessed the relationship between these metabolites and depressive symptomatology. RESULTS: 621 annotated metabolites clustered into eight metabolite modules, of which one, the acylcarnitine module, was significantly inversely associated with depressive symptomatology (ß = - 27.7 (95% CI (- 54.5-0.8); p = 0.043). Several metabolite hub features in the acylcarnitine module were significantly associated with depressive symptomatology, after correction for multiple comparisons. CONCLUSIONS: In this untargeted plasma metabolomics study among mainland Puerto Rican older adults, acylcarnitines, as a metabolite module were inversely associated with depressive symptomatology.

Dignity of Work and at Work: The Relationship between Workplace Dignity and Health among Latino Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Latino immigrants living in the United States were highly vulnerable to the health and economic consequences brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. We use the conceptual framing of workplace dignity, worth that is acknowledged based on performance of job responsibilities, to explore Latino immigrants' experiences during the early months of the pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted with La Clínica del Pueblo (La Clínica), a community health center serving low-income Latino immigrants. From June to December 2020, we conducted in-depth video interviews with 29 Latino immigrant clients to explore pandemic-related challenges, including workplace changes, discriminatory experiences, and effects on health. We conducted thematic analysis using Dedoose software. Nearly half of participants were undocumented immigrants. Most participants were unemployed or underemployed due to the pandemic and 26-49 years of age; one-third were still working, and one-quarter were 50 years or older. About half were cisgender women and two were transgender women. Employed participants experienced a lack of dignity through being socially isolated and stigmatized at work; receiving no compensation for their extra labor or for sick leave; and experiencing discriminatory labor practices. Unemployed participants experienced a lack of dignity in being the first to lose their jobs without government support; losing self-esteem; and not being rehired. Participants associated denial of dignity with worsening health conditions and increased anxiety and depression. Our study suggests that denial of workplace dignity-through job loss, underemployment, and poor working conditions-is linked to adverse health outcomes for Latino immigrants. More research should recognize workplace dignity as an important social determinant of health.

Acculturation and Depression Help-Seeking Intentions in a Majority Mexican American College Student Sample.

Work has not examined if acculturation or enculturation may predict endorsed benefits, barriers, and intentions to seek mental health services for depression, specifically among Latino students enrolled in a rural and majority Latino immigrant institution of higher education. An improved understanding of factors informing mental health help-seeking is needed to identify possible intervention points to address gaps in accessing depression treatment. Participants (N = 406) read a vignette depicting a person with depressive symptoms. Participants were asked if they would seek help for depression if in the situation described in the vignette. Participants provided text responses about their preferences for managing depression symptoms and their mental health help-seeking history. Additionally, participants completed a self-report depression symptom screener, demographic surveys, acculturation assessment, and questionnaires on perceived benefits and barriers to seeking mental health services. Path analysis was used to test the link between acculturation status and intent to seek services for depression, with benefits and barriers as mediators. The results revealed that higher perceived benefits and lower barriers were directly associated with greater intentions to seek help. Furthermore, an indirect effect of acculturation on help-seeking intentions via higher perceived benefits of seeking care was observed. These findings persisted after controlling for age, gender, depression, and history of seeking care for depression. Future work should test the replicability of this finding with diverse college students living in predominantly immigrant communities. Universities might consider tailoring outreach initiatives to provide information on the range and accessibility of mental health services, the location of mental health service centers, and the procedures for accessing such services.

Admixture Mapping of Chronic Kidney Disease and Risk Factors in Hispanic/Latino Individuals From Central America Country of Origin.

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is highly prevalent in Central America, and genetic factors may contribute to CKD risk. To understand the influences of genetic admixture on CKD susceptibility, we conducted an admixture mapping screening of CKD traits and risk factors in US Hispanic and Latino individuals from Central America country of origin. METHODS: We analyzed 1023 participants of HCHS/SOL (Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos) who reported 4 grandparents originating from the same Central America country. Ancestry admixture findings were validated on 8191 African Americans from WHI (Women's Health Initiative), 3141 American Indians from SHS (Strong Heart Study), and over 1.1 million European individuals from a multistudy meta-analysis. RESULTS: We identified 3 novel genomic regions for albuminuria (chromosome 14q24.2), CKD (chromosome 6q25.3), and type 2 diabetes (chromosome 3q22.2). The 14q24.2 locus driven by a Native American ancestry had a protective effect on albuminuria and consisted of 2 nearby regions spanning the RGS6 gene. Variants at this locus were validated in American Indians. The 6q25.3 African ancestry-derived locus, encompassing the ARID1B gene, was associated with increased risk for CKD and replicated in African Americans through admixture mapping. The European ancestry type 2 diabetes locus at 3q22.2, encompassing the EPHB1 and KY genes, was validated in European individuals through variant association. CONCLUSIONS: US Hispanic/Latino populations are culturally and genetically diverse. This study focusing on Central America grandparent country of origin provides new loci discovery and insights into the ancestry-of-origin influences on CKD and risk factors in US Hispanic and Latino individuals.

Mexican-origin women's individual and collective strategies to access and share health-promoting resources in the context of exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies.

BACKGROUND: A growing literature has documented the social, economic, and health impacts of exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies in the early 21st century for Latiné communities in the US, pointing to immigration and immigrant policies as forms of structural racism that affect individual, family, and community health and well-being. Furthermore, the past decade has seen an increase in bi-partisan exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies. Immigration enforcement has been a major topic during the 2024 Presidential election cycle, portending an augmentation of exclusionary policies towards immigrants. Within this context, scholars have called for research that highlights the ways in which Latiné communities navigate exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies, and implications for health. This study examines ways in which Mexican-origin women in a midwestern northern border community navigate restrictive immigration and immigrant policies to access health-promoting resources and care for their well-being. METHODS: We conducted a grounded theory analysis drawing on interviews with 48 Mexican-origin women in Detroit, Michigan, who identified as being in the first, 1.5, or second immigrant generation. Interviews were conducted in English or Spanish, depending on participants' preferences, and were conducted at community-based organizations or other locations convenient to participants in 2013-2014. RESULTS: Women reported encountering an interconnected web of institutional processes that used racializing markers to infer legal status and eligibility to access health-promoting resources. Our findings highlight women's use of both individual and collective action to navigate exclusionary policies and processes, working to: (1) maintain access to health-promoting resources; (2) limit labeling and stigmatization; and (3) mitigate adverse impacts of immigrant policing on health and well-being. The strategies women engaged were shaped by both the immigration processes and structures they confronted, and the resources to which they had access to within their social network. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a complex interplay of immigration-related policies and processes, social networks, and health-relevant resources. They highlight the importance of inclusive policies to promote health for immigrant communities. These findings illuminate women's agency in the context of structural violence facing immigrant women and are particularly salient in the face of anti-immigrant rhetoric and exclusionary immigration and immigrant policies.

Review of the Knowledge, Barriers, and Facilitators of HPV Vaccination among Latino Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers in the United States.

One subgroup of Latinos whose healthcare needs must be more thoroughly addressed is the roughly three million farmworkers pursuing seasonal agricultural work within the United States (U.S.). Latino migrant and seasonal farmworkers (MSFW) face compounded political, social, and personal contexts that complicate healthcare access. Although the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine prevents HPV infections and cancers, uptake among Hispanic adolescents remains suboptimal. Therefore, it is important to understand Latino MSFW's HPV knowledge, as well as barriers to and facilitators of vaccination so culturally appropriate measures can bolster vaccination. An integrative review was conducted in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science using key search terms. Results were evaluated for compatibility with inclusion/exclusion criteria, and selected articles were coded and evaluated via thematic analysis. Six studies of various designs were ultimately included in the review. While some Latino MSFW have baseline knowledge about HPV and the vaccine, knowledge gaps remain. Participants expressed curiosity about how the vaccine works, contents, side effects, dosing, recommended age, and information about prevented diseases. Although additional education and MSFW's receptiveness to provider's recommendations were cited as major facilitators, many barriers also need addressed. Providers must leverage MSFW's existing knowledge, provide education, and facilitate vaccination to protect farmworker families from HPV and related cancers. It must become standard practice for providers to recommend the HPV vaccine to MSFW, who are receptive to this conversation. Increasing vaccination can decrease the disproportionate burden of HPV-related cancers on patients and facilitate access to healthcare services.

Food environments in times of crises: Examining menu changes in response to COVID-19 among Hispanic Caribbean restaurants in New York City.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected independently-owned restaurants with implications for food access and health equity. Changes in healthy food availability (HFA) were examined in a randomly selected sample of Hispanic Caribbean restaurants in New York City, before and after the COVID-19 onset (n=76), using an adapted Nutrition Environment Measurement Survey for Restaurants. An overall decrease in HFA scores was found and changes HFA components (fried foods and vegetarian options increased, 100% fruit juice decreased, p<0.10). Changes were examined against restaurant characteristics. This work augments our understanding of ethnic restaurants and the nutrition implications of business adaptations when responding to emergencies.

Admixture mapping of cognitive function in diverse Hispanic and Latino adults: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

INTRODUCTION: We conducted admixture mapping and fine-mapping analyses to identify ancestry-of-origin loci influencing cognitive abilities. METHODS: We estimated the association of local ancestry intervals across the genome with five neurocognitive measures in 7140 diverse Hispanic and Latino adults (mean age 55 years). We prioritized genetic variants in associated loci and tested them for replication in four independent cohorts. RESULTS: We identified nine local ancestry-associated regions for the five neurocognitive measures. There was strong biological support for the observed associations to cognitive function at all loci and there was statistical evidence of independent replication at 4q12, 9p22.1, and 13q12.13. DISCUSSION: Our study identified multiple novel loci harboring genes implicated in cognitive functioning and dementia, and uncovered ancestry-relevant genetic variants. It adds to our understanding of the genetic architecture of cognitive function in Hispanic and Latino adults and demonstrates the power of admixture mapping to discover unique haplotypes influencing cognitive function, complementing genome-wide association studies. HIGHLIGHTS: We identified nine ancestry-of-origin chromosomal regions associated with five neurocognitive traits. In each associated region, we identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that explained, at least in part, the admixture signal and were tested for replication in independent samples of Black, non-Hispanic White, and Hispanic/Latino adults with the same or similar neurocognitive tests. Statistical evidence of independent replication of the prioritized SNPs was observed for three of the nine associations, at chr4q12, chr9p22.1, and chr13q12.13. At all loci, there was strong biological support for the observed associations to cognitive function and dementia, prioritizing genes such as KIT, implicated in autophagic clearance of neurotoxic proteins and on mast cell and microglial-mediated inflammation; SLC24A2, implicated in synaptic plasticity associated with learning and memory; and MTMR6, implicated in phosphoinositide lipids metabolism.

Examining the "White Health Advantage" Effect among Latinos in the United States.

There is consensus regarding the socio-political roots of the concept of race (and ethnicity) in the United States (US). However arbitrary, the US societal constructions of race have meant racial/ethnic minorities experience disproportionate health burdens. The present study examined the so-called "white health advantage" effect in a large sample of US respondents, comparing Latinos (non-White and White) with non-Latino Whites. This cross-sectional study used deidentified data from the Dynata Global COVID Symptoms map project, collected between July 7-14, 2020 (n = 135,075). A dichotomous health status variable was created with respondents answering yes/no to any COVID-19 symptoms (difficulty breathing, coughing, fatigue, fever, and loss of taste or smell). We included relevant predisposing (age, gender, number of children, race, ethnicity, marital status, and education) and enabling factors (housing conditions, income, employment status, business ownership, and number of cars owned - a proxy measure for wealth). Multivariate logistic regression models showed significant differences in health status (as measured by COVID-19 symptoms) when comparing Latinos (non-White, White) and non-Latino Whites. For instance, higher socioeconomic status had a protective effect only among non-Latino Whites. In turn, being married/living with a partner was only associated with COVID-19 symptoms among White Latinos, indicating that the apparent benefits of this "improving" socio-political location are somewhat limited. Our study found significant differences in COVID-19 symptoms when comparing Latinos (non-White, White) and non-Latino Whites. Our findings underscore the importance of further examining health outcomes by racial identities of US Latinos, which can help inform future health equity efforts.

Latinx caregivers and autism identification: what we know a scoping review.

This is a scoping review driven by the broad research question: What are Latinx caregivers' specific facilitators and challenges, if any, in getting a timely diagnosis/identification for their child with autism? Our search resulted in 128 articles across various disciplines. A total of 43 articles were included in the final article set. Employing an inductive process, the experiences of Latinx caregiver(s) in obtaining a diagnosis/identification were coded and categorized. From that process, three broad themes were identified: (1) Diagnosis/identification barriers and facilitators (2) System changes and (3) Cultural adaptations and intersectionality. These themes represent the myriad of considerations that have been purported in the existing body of literature to frame an understanding of the experiences that Latinx/Hispanic caregivers encounter as they seek to obtain an autism diagnosis/identification for their child.

Persistent organic pollutants and cognitive decline among middle-aged or older adults in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos.

Persistent organic pollutants may negatively impact cognition; however, associations between persistent organic pollutants and changes in cognition among United States Hispanic/Latino adults have not been investigated. Herein, we examined the associations between 33 persistent organic pollutants and cognitive changes among 1837 Hispanic/Latino adults. At baseline (2008-2011; Visit 1), participants provided biospecimens in which we measured levels of 5 persistent pesticides or pesticide metabolites, 4 polybrominated diphenyl ethers and 2,2',4,4',5,5'-hexabromobiphenyl, and 24 polychlorinated biphenyls. At Visit 1 and again at Visit 2 (2015-2018), a battery of neurocognitive tests was administered which included the Brief-Spanish English Verbal Learning Test, Word Fluency Test, and Digit Symbol Substitution Test. To estimate the adjusted associations between changes in cognition and each POP, we used linear regression for survey data. Each doubling in plasma levels of polychlorinated biphenyls 146, 178, 194, 199/206, and 209 was associated with steeper declines in global cognition (ßs range:-0.053 to -0.061) with stronger associations for the Brief-Spanish English Verbal Learning Test. Persistent organic pollutants, in particular polychlorinated biphenyls, were associated with declines in cognition over 7 years and may be a concern for Hispanic/Latino adults.

Assessing interventions promoting the uptake of cancer-related genomic services within the Latino community: A scoping review using the RE-AIM framework.

Cancer genomic services (CGS) can support genetic risk-stratified cancer prevention and treatment. Racial/ethnic minority groups are less likely to access and utilize CGS compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Little research has described characteristics of interventions targeted at CGS among Latinos. This scoping review aimed to (1) describe interventions promoting uptake of CGS among Latinos in the United States and Latin America, (2) describe intervention adaptations for Latino participants, and (3) summarize intervention implementation factors suggested by reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. We conducted a search in English and Spanish of literature published between 2005 and 2022 across PubMed and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases. Sixteen of 2344 papers met the inclusion criteria of the analysis. Efforts to promote CGS among Latino communities were limited in the US and lower in Latin America. This review highlights the need for in-depth exploration of acculturation-informed interventions and better reporting on implementation factors to enhance their scalability across diverse settings.

Partnering with Local Schools of Traditional Chinese Medicine to Provide Accessible Acupuncture Services for Pain Management in a Group of Low-Income Hispanics/Latinos.

This field report describes the accessibility and perceived effectiveness of a free acupuncture program among a group of predominantly low-income Hispanic/Latino adults. Surveys, developed based on the Levesque Conceptual Framework of Access to Health Care, were administered to clients. Baseline (n = 245) and 6-week follow-up (n = 79) surveys were analyzed to document early program findings. A majority of clients were Hispanic/Latino (72.7%) and female (73.1%). Most reported their original pain complaint was treated very well/well (98.7%). Clients reported an average 1.2 points pain level decrease (scale 1-10) at follow-up (p < 0.0001). Early program results suggest this acupuncture program was accessible and well received by low-income Hispanics/Latinos.

Barriers and Facilitators to Accessing PrEP and Other Sexual Health Services Among Immigrant Latino Men Who Have Sex with Men in Los Angeles County.

In the United States, immigrant Latino men who have sex with men (ILMSM) are, compared to white MSM, disproportionately burdened by HIV and lack access to highly effective HIV prevention strategies, such as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP). Qualitative research centered on exploring barriers that ILMSM experience in accessing PrEP and other sexual services is extremely limited, despite a high prevalence of HIV in this population. In this study, a purposive sample of ILMSM (n = 25) was recruited to participate in a semi-structured in-depth interview to identify the distinct barriers and facilitators ILMSM experience in accessing sexual health services given their complex intersectional identities of being an immigrant, Latino, and a sexual minority man. Using a thematic analysis approach, nine themes were generated from the data representing barriers and facilitators. Barriers included: (1) cost and a lack of health insurance, (2) complexity of PrEP assistance programs; (3) challenges related to the immigrant experience; (4) impact of gay stigma; and (5) communication challenges. Facilitators included: (1) improving affordability and accessibility of PrEP services; (2) receiving services from LGBT- or Latine LGBT-centered clinics; (3) receiving services from medical providers who are gay and/or Latino; and (4) providing targeted community outreach, education, and promotion of PrEP to ILMSM. While many of the barriers illuminated in the study were structural (e.g., cost and lack of health insurance), and not easy to overcome, the findings highlight a range of facilitators that can support access to PrEP and other sexual health services for ILMSM. Considering these findings, we suggest strategies that may enhance access to needed sexual health services among ILMSM.

Association between Hispanic Ethnicity and Greater Expectation of Benefit from Acupuncture or Massage for Pain in Cancer.

Individuals living with cancer and survivors of cancer who self-identify as Hispanic experience higher pain burden and greater barriers to pain management compared with their non-Hispanic counterparts. The Society for Integrative Oncology-ASCO guideline recommends acupuncture and massage for cancer pain management. However, Hispanic individuals' expectations about these modalities remain under-studied and highlight a potential barrier to treatment utilization in this population. We conducted a subgroup analysis of baseline data from two randomized clinical trials to evaluate ethnic differences in treatment expectations about integrative pain treatment modalities among Hispanic and non-Hispanic cancer patients and survivors of cancer. The Mao Expectancy of Treatment Effects (METE) instrument was used to measure treatment expectancy for electro-acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, and massage therapy. Results of this study demonstrated that Hispanic participants reported greater expectation of benefit from electroacupuncture, auricular acupuncture, and massage (all P < 0.01). After controlling for age, gender, race, and education, Hispanic ethnicity remained significantly associated with greater expectation of benefit from integrative therapies for pain (coef.=1.47, 95% CI, 0.67-2.27). Non-white race (coef.=1.04, 95% CI, 0.42-1.65), no college education (coef.=1.16, 95% CI, 0.59-1.74), and female gender (coef.=0.94, 95% CI, 0.38-1.50) were also associated with a greater expectation of benefit from integrative therapies. Pain management should be informed by a shared decision-making approach that aligns treatment expectancy with treatment selections to optimize outcomes. Compared with non-Hispanic participants, Hispanic individuals reported higher expectation of benefit from acupuncture and massage, highlighting the potential role for integrative therapies in addressing ethnic pain disparities. Trial Registration NCT02979574 NCT04095234.

Adaptation and Reach of a Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Social Marketing Campaign for Latino, Latina, and Latinx Populations: Development Study.

BACKGROUND: Latino, Latina, and Latinx (Latino/a/x) individuals remain disproportionately impacted by HIV, particularly sexual minority men and transgender women. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective means of biomedical HIV prevention, but awareness and uptake remain low among marginalized Latino/a/x populations. Social marketing campaigns have demonstrated promise in promoting PrEP in other populations but are poorly studied in Latino/a/x sexual minority men and transgender women. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to (1) adapt and pilot a PrEP social marketing campaign tailored to Latino/a/x populations with a focus on sexual minority men and transgender women through community-based participatory research (CBPR) and (2) evaluate the reach and ad performance of the adapted PrEP social marketing campaign. METHODS: We used the ADAPT-ITT (assessment, decision, adaptation, production, topical experts-integration, training, and testing) framework for adapting evidence-based interventions for new settings or populations. This paper presents how each phase of the ADAPT-ITT framework was applied via CBPR to create the PrEPárate ("Be PrEPared") campaign. Key community engagement strategies included shared ownership with community partners, focus groups to guide content, crowdsourcing to name the campaign, design by local Latino/a/x artists, and featuring local influencers as the faces of PrEPárate. We evaluated campaign reach and advertisement performance using social media platform metrics (paid and organic reach, impressions, unique clicks, and click-through rates [CTR]) and website use statistics from Google Analytics. RESULTS: The PrEPárate campaign ran in Cook County, Illinois, from April to September 2022. The campaign reached over 118,750 people on social media (55,750 on Facebook and Instagram [Meta Platforms Inc] and 63,000 on TikTok [ByteDance Ltd]). The Meta ads performed over the industry benchmark with ads featuring local transgender women (2% CTR) and cisgender sexual minority men (1.4% CTR). Of the different Grindr (Grindr Inc) ad formats piloted, the interstitial Grindr ads were the highest performing (1183/55,479, 2.13% CTR). YouTube (Google) ads were low performing at 0.11% (153/138,337) CTR and were stopped prematurely, given limits on sexual education-related content. In the first year, there were 5006 visitors to the website. CONCLUSIONS: Adaptation of an existing evidence-based intervention served as an effective method for developing a PrEP social marketing campaign for Latino/a/x audiences. CBPR and strong community partnerships were essential to tailor materials and provide avenues to systematically address barriers to PrEP access. Social marketing is a promising strategy to promote PrEP among underserved Latino/a/x populations.

Dietary Acculturation Is Associated With Altered Gut Microbiome, Circulating Metabolites, and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in US Hispanics and Latinos: Results From HCHS/SOL.

BACKGROUND: Dietary acculturation, or adoption of dominant culture diet by migrant groups, influences human health. We aimed to examine dietary acculturation and its relationships with cardiovascular disease (CVD), gut microbiota, and blood metabolites among US Hispanic and Latino adults. METHODS: In the HCHS/SOL (Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos), US exposure was defined by years in the United States (50 states and Washington, DC) and US nativity. A dietary acculturation pattern was derived from 14 172 participants with two 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline (2008-2011) using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression, with food groups as predictors of US exposure. We evaluated associations of dietary acculturation with incident CVD across ≈7 years of follow-up (n=211/14 172 cases/total) and gut microbiota (n=2349; visit 2, 2014 to 2017). Serum metabolites associated with both dietary acculturation-related gut microbiota (n=694) and incident CVD (n=108/5256 cases/total) were used as proxy measures to assess the association of diet-related gut microbiome with incident CVD. RESULTS: We identified an empirical US-oriented dietary acculturation score that increased with US exposure. Higher dietary acculturation score was associated with higher risk of incident CVD (hazard ratio per SD, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.13-1.57]), adjusted for sociodemographic, lifestyle, and clinical factors. Sixty-nine microbial species (17 enriched from diverse species, 52 depleted mainly from fiber-utilizing Clostridia and Prevotella species) were associated with dietary acculturation, driven by lower intakes of whole grains, beans, and fruits and higher intakes of refined grains. Twenty-five metabolites, involved predominantly in fatty acid and glycerophospholipid metabolism (eg, branched-chain 14:0 dicarboxylic acid** and glycerophosphoethanolamine), were associated with both diet acculturation-related gut microbiota and incident CVD. Proxy association analysis based on these metabolites suggested a positive relationship between diet acculturation-related microbiome and risk of CVD (r=0.70, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Among US Hispanic and Latino adults, greater dietary acculturation was associated with elevated CVD risk, possibly through alterations in gut microbiota and related metabolites. Diet and microbiota-targeted interventions may offer opportunities to mitigate CVD burdens of dietary acculturation.

Measures of performance validity for Hispanic/Latin American adults: A PRISMA systematic review.

Objective: Use of performance validity tests (PVTs) to assess suboptimal performance has become a recommended feature in neuropsychological evaluations. However, most of the literature has examined the utility of PVTs in primarily non-Hispanic White, monolingual English-speaking samples. Given the continual growth of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) populations, especially Hispanic/Latin Americans (H/Ls), it is necessary to provide an updated review on the available literature involving the use of PVTs in H/L adults. Methods: We conducted a systematic review that examined the available literature surrounding use of performance validity measures in H/L adults. This review identified evidence for the utility of PVTs in assessing invalid performance in H/Ls and compiled psychometric properties related to these measures, specifically rates of specificity and sensitivity when available. Results: We identified six standalone and four embedded performance validity measures that have been examined in H/Ls. The Test of Memory Malingering (TOMM) was identified as the PVT most studied in various H/L heritage groups. Across the studies reviewed, adjustments to cutoff scores are generally recommended for the majority of PVTs discussed. Within H/Ls, specificity rates tend to be bolstered when sociocultural factors, like education, are considered. Conclusions: Recommended cutoff scores across the different PVTs reviewed are not typically suitable for use in heritage groups of H/L adults, especially in groups that include adults with lower levels of education and literacy. Therefore, education may need to be considered when applying cutoffs to these populations.

Intracranial Volume Is Driven by Both Genetics and Early Life Exposures: The SOL-INCA-MRI Study.

Intracranial volume (ICV) reflects maximal brain development and is associated with later-life cognitive abilities. We quantified ICV among first- and second-generation Hispanic and Latino adults from the Study of Latinos-Investigation of Cognitive Aging - MRI (SOL-INCA-MRI), estimated ICV heritability, and tested its associations with previously reported genetic variants, both individually and as a genetic risk score (GRS). We also estimated the association of ICV with early life environmental measures: nativity or age of immigration and parental education. The estimated heritability of ICV was 19% (95% CI, 0.1%-56%) in n=1781 unrelated SOL-INCA-MRI individuals. Four of 10 tested genetic variants were associated with ICV and an increase of 1 SD of the ICV-GRS was associated with an increase of 10.37 cm3 in the ICV (95% CI, 5.29-15.45). Compared to being born in the continental United States, immigrating to the United States at age 11 years or older was associated with 24 cm3 smaller ICV (95% CI, -39.97 to -8.06). Compared to both parents having less than high-school education, at least 1 parent completing high-school education was associated with 15.4 cm3 greater ICV (95% CI, 4.46-26.39). These data confirm the importance of early life health on brain development.

A Mixed Methods Investigation Examining the PrEP Cascade Among 13-18-Year-Old Latino Adolescent Sexual Minority Men.

Latino adolescent sexual minority men (ASMM) are at high risk of HIV. Limited research has explored the impact of parent-adolescent communication and beliefs on PrEP adoption among Latino ASMM. Our objective was to examine how parental support and beliefs influence decisions regarding PrEP use. We analyzed PrEP-related attitudes and behaviors within a national cohort of 524 Latino ASMM aged 13-18. Out of the participants, 60.5% were suitable for PrEP. Among them, 59.7% were in the precontemplation stage (stage 1), indicating a lack of willingness or belief of unsuitability. However, 86.4% moved to reach the contemplation stage (stage 2), demonstrating willingness and suitability for PrEP. Only 16.8% moved on to the PrEParation stage (stage 3), indicating their intention to start using PrEP. Furthermore, 4.3% progressed to the PrEP action stage and initiation (stage 4), signifying they had received a prescription, and all reported high adherence (stage 5). Factors associated with reaching later stages included older age, parental support of sexual orientation, and previous HIV/STI testing. The qualitative findings revealed diverse attitudes towards parental involvement in PrEP care among Latino ASMM, including positive, negative, and ambivalent perspectives. Notably, Spanish-speaking participants expressed specific barriers to PrEP communication between ASMM and their parents. Given that parental support and attitudes emerged as significant factors in both our quantitative and qualitative findings, it is evident that public health approaches aiming to disseminate education and awareness about PrEP to parents and families could alleviate the burden on adolescents to educate their parents and enhance support.