Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health
Volume 20, Issue 5, 2018, Pages 1085-1093

Sociodemographic and Lifestyle Factors, and Health Conditions of Dominican Adults Living in Puerto Rico (Article)

Tamez M. , Ríos-Bedoya C.F. , Rodríguez-Orengo J.F. , Tucker K.L. , Mattei J.*
  • a Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Bldg. 2, Boston, MA 02115, United States
  • b Fundación de Investigación de Puerto Rico, San Juan, United States, Department of Internal Medicine, Hurley Medical Center, Flint, MI, United States
  • c Fundación de Investigación de Puerto Rico, San Juan, United States, Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, United States
  • d Department of Biomedical & Nutritional Sciences, University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell, MA, United States
  • e Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave, Bldg. 2, Boston, MA 02115, United States

Abstract

Dominicans are the largest migrant community in Puerto Rico, yet understudied. We compared risk factors and health conditions of Dominicans versus Puerto Ricans (PRs). Cross-sectional survey of Dominicans (n = 55) and PRs (n = 310) aged 30–75 years, assessed with validated questionnaires and standardized anthropometric measurements. Significantly, more Dominicans than PRs had attained <8th grade education (37.7 vs. 8.0%), reported household income ≤$10,000 (76.1 vs. 56.9%), lacked health insurance (19.6 vs. 5.5%), and reported food insecurity (24.5 vs. 12.1%). They spent fewer hours/day watching television (2.9 vs. 3.8), and were less likely to smoke (7.6 vs. 19.6%). Medically-diagnosed depression was lower among Dominicans than PRs (9.6 vs. 23.0%); questionnaire-based high depressive symptomatology was similar (47.9 vs. 52.8%). Dominicans living in Puerto Rico had more socioeconomic risk factors but healthier lifestyle behaviors and lower prevalence of medically-diagnosed depression than PRs. Tailored approaches are needed to ameliorate disparities in each ethnic group. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Author Keywords

minority health Dominicans health disparities Puerto Ricans Chronic diseases

Index Keywords

Puerto Rico depression lifestyle Life Style Alcohol Drinking drinking behavior sleep Sedentary Behavior human epidemiology Health Behavior middle aged statistics and numerical data health status diet Aged ethnology Dominican Republic Cross-Sectional Studies cross-sectional study migrant Humans smoking male Emigrants and Immigrants female Socioeconomic Factors risk factor Risk Factors socioeconomics Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice adult body weight attitude to health
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85028548188&doi=10.1007%2fs10903-017-0637-x&partnerID=40&md5=d8ab805973dc8c5cf781ec03fb69e965
DOI: 10.1007/s10903-017-0637-x
ISSN: 15571912
Original Language: English