Obesity is a leading preventable cause of cardiometabolic diseases and mortality, and the increasing prevalence of obesity has become a major public health concern. 1 Defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), obesity is often associated with metabolic abnormalities, including glucose intolerance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, increased inflammation, and metabolic syndrome-all of which increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases (CVD) (ie, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure). 2 Yet, not all individuals meeting the criteria for obesity

Breast cancer incidence is lower in many U.S. ethnic minority and foreign-born population groups. Investigating whether migration and acculturation patterns in risk are reflected in disease biomarkers may help to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. We compared the distribution of breast cancer risk factors across U.S.-born white, African American and Hispanic women, and foreign-born Hispanic women ( = 477, ages 40-64 years, 287 born in Caribbean countries). We used linear regression models to examine the associations of migration history and linguistic acculturation with mammographic breast density (MBD), measured using computer-assisted methods as percent and area of dense breast tissue. The distribution of most breast cancer risk factors varied by ethnicity, nativity, and age at migration. In age- and body mass index-adjusted models, U.S.-born women did not differ in average MBD according to ethnicity, but foreign-born Hispanic women had lower MBD [e.g., -4.50%; 95% confidence interval (CI), -7.12 to -1.89 lower percent density in foreign- vs. U.S.-born Hispanic women]. Lower linguistic acculturation and lower percent of life spent in the United States were also associated with lower MBD [e.g., monolingual Spanish and bilingual vs. monolingual English speakers, respectively, had 5.09% (95% CI, -8.33 to -1.85) and 3.34% (95% CI, -6.57 to -0.12) lower percent density]. Adjusting for risk factors (e.g., childhood body size, parity) attenuated some of these associations. Hispanic women predominantly born in Caribbean countries have lower MBD than U.S.-born women of diverse ethnic backgrounds, including U.S.-born Hispanic women of Caribbean heritage. MBD may provide insight into mechanisms driving geographic and migration variations in breast cancer risk. .

Background-Exposure to childhood adversities (CA) is associated with sleep disturbances; however, evidence has largely been drawn from cross-sectional data and has not addressed the relationship across developmental stages. Also, most studies have primarily focused on non Hispanic White cohorts with a dearth of longitudinal evidence about racial/ethnic minorities. We examined the longitudinal association between CA and sleep disturbances in Puerto Rican youth. Method-The Boricua YouthStudy is a longitudinal study of Puerto Rican youth living in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and the South Bronx, NY (N = 2491). Among youth 5-9 and 10-16 years old, sleep disturbances were assessed through three yearly interviews. Lifetime exposure to CA included parental loss, child maltreatment, parental maladjustment, and exposure to violence. Weighted generalized linear mixed models examined the longitudinal association between CA and sleep disturbances in youth adjusting for sociodemographic and contextual covariates.Results-The prevalence of sleep disturbances was similar in both age groups (ages 5-9 and 10-16). In multivariable mixed models, CA were associated with sleep disturbance across three Waves among 10-16-year-olds. For example, having 2-3 or ≥ 4 types of CA were related to a ✉ Shakira F. Suglia,

Objective Evidence stemming largely from retrospective studies suggests that childhood adversity (CA) is associated with earlier age at menarche, a marker of pubertal timing, among girls. Little is known about associations with pubertal tempo among boys or racial/ethnic minorities. We examined the association between CA and timing and tempo of pubertal development among boys and girls. Methods The Boricua Youth Study is a longitudinal study of Puerto Rican youth residing in the San Juan metro area in Puerto Rico and the South Bronx, New York. CA was based on caretaker reports of parental loss and parental maladjustment and youth reports of child maltreatment and exposure to violence. Youth completed the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS) yearly for 3 years. In linear mixed models stratified by sex, we examined the association between CA and pubertal timing and tempo, adjusting for site, socioeconomic status, and age. Results Among the 1949 children who were 8 years or older by wave 3, cumulative CA was associated with higher PDS scores among girls compared with girls not exposed to CA (PDS score: 2.63 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 2.55–2.71] versus 2.48 [95% CI = 2.37–2.58]). In contrast, among boys, experiencing adversities was associated with lower pubertal developmental stage or later timing (PDS: 1.77 [95% CI = 1.67–1.87] versus 1.97 [95% CI = 1.85–2.10]) compared with those not exposed to adversities. Conclusions Associations between CA and pubertal development may vary by sex. Understanding the etiological role of adversities on pubertal development and identifying targets for intervention are of utmost importance in ameliorating the impact of CA on child health.