Hispanic Surname Research Articles

Variables appended to ABS frames: Has their data quality improved?

Address based sampling (ABS) has become current state-of-the-art methodology for conducting household surveys by mail, telephone or web in the United States. One potential advantage of ABS frames is that additional information about the sampled households can be appended and leveraged for data collection and analytic purposes. The appended data come from many sources and are of variable quality and completeness. The goals of this research were to evaluate data quality of demographic and socioeconomic variables provided for recent ABS samples from one vendor, and to examine their potential usefulness for sample design, including oversampling. We report on the completeness of the appended data as well as their concordance with data reported by respondents to two recent large ABS household surveys, one that invited households to complete the survey online and another that was mail only. Based on the quality assessment, we also examine the utility of the appended variables for oversampling. Our general conclusions are that the quality of select appended variables has improved such that the Hispanic origin, Hispanic surname, and presence of age group 65+ variables may be used to efficiently oversample these subgroups. However, this is not the case for oversampling other subgroups through appended variables for home tenure; those with head of household whose educational attainment is high school or less; low income households; households with children; presence of age groups 18-24, 25-34, and 35-64; or households based on the number of adults in the household.

Abstract B68: Breast cancer mortality differences by race/ethnicity: Distinct differences by decade and hormone status.

Abstract Introduction: Our limited understanding of breast cancer mortality differences by race/ethnicity may be enhanced by examination of changes in those differences over time, and by further assessment of such differences by hormone receptor status, an important prognostic indicator. We sought to determine whether mortality disparities remained consistent with calendar time, and whether any differences were apparent between hormone receptor subgroups, in a large population-based study. Methods: Using Surveillance Epidemiology End Results (SEER) data for invasive breast cancer cases in 9 registries diagnosed from 1975-2004 and followed through 2009, we utilized Cox regression to calculate hazard ratios (HR) for 5-year breast cancer-specific mortality among women of African American race or Hispanic ethnicity, compared with non-Hispanic white women. Women considered Hispanic due only to a Hispanic surname were omitted. HR were estimated separately for women diagnosed in each succeeding 5 years to examine trends with calendar time. Separate models were fit for cases diagnosed in 1990 or later by estrogen receptor (ER) status. The proportion of mortality disparity by race/ethnicity attributable to ER status was evaluated using the change in the HR estimate when ER status was included in Cox models. Results: During the 5 years following diagnosis, 65300 deaths occurred in 418229 women. Among African-Americans, the HR for 5 year cause-specific mortality increased steadily every 5 calendar years, from 1.6 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.5-1.7) among 1975-79 diagnoses to 2.4 (95% CI 2.2-2.5) in 2000-04 diagnoses. Among Hispanics, the corresponding HR increased from 1.0 (95% CI 0.9-1.2) to 1.5 (95% CI 1.4-1.7), with most change occurring in 1995 or later diagnoses. Mortality declined in all groups with calendar time, but white non-Hispanic women had a lower baseline mortality in 1975, and experienced a greater decline. Among 1990 or later diagnoses, the HR for ER-positive disease exceeded that for ER-negative disease (African-American: ER-positive HR =2.1 (95% CI 2.0-2.2) ; ER-negative HR=1.6 (95% CI 1.5-1.7); p-interaction <.0001 ; Hispanic: ER-positive HR=1.4 (95% CI 1.3-1.6); ER-negative HR=1.2 (95% CI 1.1-1.6);p-interaction=.02). The greater mortality among ER-positive cases accounted for 27% of the total mortality disparity in African-Americans in 1990-2009, and 30% in Hispanics. Conclusions: Misclassification of Hispanic ethnicity in earlier decades may have attenuated HR estimates, thus improved categorization may be responsible in part for the Hispanic HR increase with calendar year. Our results pertain only to the 5 years following diagnosis, and not to subsequent years, during which HR decline in both groups and the proportional hazards assumption is violated. Our findings suggest increasing mortality differences during the initial years following diagnosis among African-American (and possibly Hispanic) women from 1975-2004 that cannot be attributable to genetics alone. Further, our results imply that such disparities are stronger among those that are ER-positive. Thus efforts to reduce mortality differences in these groups might be directed to improving survival in ER-positive women. Citation Format: Deirdre Hill, Catherine Axtell, Huining Kang, Melanie Royce. Breast cancer mortality differences by race/ethnicity: Distinct differences by decade and hormone status. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr B68.

Onomastics Among Hispanic Migrants in South Central Pennsylvania

AbstractThis paper analyzes onomastic choices and their possible reasons in the migrant Hispanic population in Pennsylvania. The investigation considers the double Hispanic surname system and first-name choices: Spanish ver- sus English, as well as creative first names. The data were initially collected from the Chambersburg, PA, school district. Interviews with the migrants allowed determining some of the reasons for the choices. In addition, the data from two counties were then analyzed to confirm the trends observed in the smaller pool. The analysis finds that the onomastic choices in this population show a tendency towards keeping the standards of the culture of origin for first names, with some accommodation to American culture, and a tendency to adopt American standards with surnames.

“Can You Spare an Organ?”: Exploring Hispanic Americans' Willingness to Discuss Living Organ Donation With Loved Ones

Living organ donation offers a means of overcoming the shortage of viable organs available for transplant: a shortage particularly problematic among Hispanics. One barrier standing between those in need of a kidney and a successful transplant operation is an inability, and often lack of desire, to talk to loved ones about the need for a living donation. With an eye on future intervention approaches, and guided in part by the theory of planned behavior, this research effort sought to explore the factors associated with a willingness to engage in a conversation about a living donation with loved ones. Study 1, a phone survey of Hispanic Americans drawn from a Hispanic surname list, reveals that while upward of 90% of respondents would be willing to offer a kidney to a family member in need, and a similar percentage would be willing to accept a living donation if offered, only about half of respondents would feel comfortable initiating a conversation with family members if the respondent was in need of a living donation. Study 2, a survey of Hispanic American patients currently in need of a living kidney donation, revealed that perceived behavioral control accounted for 60% of the variance in future intentions to initiate a conversation among those who have yet to speak to a family member about becoming a living donor. Moreover, perceived behavioral control mediated the relationship between perceived asking appropriateness and future intentions to initiate a conversation. Lastly, recipient outcome expectations, asking appropriateness, and subjective norms were revealed to be predictive of perceived behavioral control. Implications for future living donor interventions focusing on increasing recipient-initiated conversations are discussed.

Neighborhood Composition and Cancer among Hispanics: Tumor Stage and Size at Time of Diagnosis

We have previously reported that cancer incidence for lung, female breast, and colon and rectum for Hispanics decreases with increasing percentage of Hispanics at the census tract. In contrast, cervical cancer incidence increases with increasing percentage of Hispanics at the census tract. In this study, we investigate the hypothesis that Hispanics living in census tracts with high percentages of Hispanics are diagnosed with more advanced cancer, with respect to tumor size and stage of diagnosis. Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry and the U.S. Census Bureau were used to estimate the odds of diagnosis at a "late" stage (II, III, IV) versus "early" stage (I) and breast cancer tumor size among Hispanics as a function of census tract percent Hispanic. Hispanic ethnicity in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registry was identified by medical record review and Hispanic surname lists. The study also used income of Hispanics living in the census tract and controlled for age at diagnosis and gender. We found that Hispanics living in neighborhoods with higher density of Hispanic populations were more likely to be diagnosed with late-stage breast, cervical, or colorectal cancer, and to have a larger tumor size of breast cancer. Our findings suggest that the benefits of lower cancer incidence in high tract percent Hispanics are partially offset by poorer access and reduced use of screening in conjunction with lower income, poorer health insurance coverage, and language barriers typical of these communities.

Are Surname Telephone Oversamples an Efficient Way to Better Understand the Health and Healthcare of Minority Group Members?

Surname oversamples are commonly used in health research to increase the number of persons from minority racial and ethnic groups represented in general population surveys. This article considers the sample design efficiency in the use of Hispanic, Hmong, and Asian surname samples. The study uses 3 state surveys (Alabama, Missouri, and Minnesota) that used surname oversamples to increase the proportion of Hispanic, Hmong, or Asian respondents included in the studies. We examine whether surname oversamples lead to more completed surveys with the targeted minority groups than would have been achieved if surname oversamples had not been used. We also assess gains in terms of effective sample sizes from the use of surname oversampling. The sensitivities of the Hispanic surname list ranged from 46% to 63% across the 3 surveys. The sensitivity of the Asian survey was 34%, and the sensitivity of the Hmong was 38%. Although the use of surname increased the number of targeted minority group members in the final study, the increased number had a very minimal impact on the effective sample size of the minority populations for the key survey estimates of interest in the 3 health surveys. The use of surname samples achieved the goal of having more persons who identify as Hispanic, Hmong, or Asian in the final sample. However, the use of surname oversamples is inefficient when considering the statistical power gained for minority group estimates.

Cultural Competency Gives Boost to Quality of Life in Nursing Homes

Cultural Competency Gives Boost to Quality of Life in Nursing Homes

Cultural competence: A call to action

C e US SURGEON GENERAL Richard Carmona, RN, MD, MPH, FACS, had a chance encounter that changed his whole life. At the time, Carmona was a 17-year-old high school dropout in New York City. He encountered a man, Sal, who was dressed in a uniform and green beret. During that chance conversation, Sal told Carmona that he needed to do something with his life and encouraged him to join the army. Carmona went on to join the army, obtain his GED, and become a combat medic with the Special Forces in Vietnam.

Neighborhood composition and incidence of cancer among Hispanics in the United States

Hispanics in the United States have a 33% lower age-adjusted incidence of cancer and a 38% lower cancer mortality rate compared with non-Hispanic whites. This may be secondary to health behaviors that vary with residential and economic assimilation. The authors investigated whether cancer incidence among Hispanics increased with residential and economic assimilation into mainstream culture. Data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program (SEER) and the U.S. Census Bureau were used to compare cancer incidence rates and rate ratios as a function of percentage of Hispanics and income of Hispanics in a census tract. Type of cancer was identified with a site recode variable in the SEER data set. Cases with in situ prostate and cervical carcinoma were excluded. Hispanic ethnicity in SEER was identified by medical record review and Hispanic surname lists. The study also used income of Hispanics living in the census tract, age at diagnosis, and stratification by gender. The incidence of breast, colorectal, and lung carcinoma among Hispanics increased as the percentage of Hispanics in the census tract decreased and as tract Hispanic income increased. For example, there was a 39% reduction in breast carcinoma and a 38% reduction in male colorectal carcinoma when the Hispanic population in high-density Hispanic neighborhoods in the lowest income quartile was contrasted to Hispanics living in tracts with the lowest total percentage of Hispanics in the highest income quartile. The lower cancer rates among Hispanics relative to non-Hispanic whites in the United States may dissipate as Hispanics become more assimilated into the mainstream society.

An exploratory examination of pre-employment psychological testing of police officer candidates with a hispanic surname

For many years, potential police recruits have had to undergo a variety of pre-employment tests. The testing process includes physical and psychological procedures. In more recent years the psychological testing has received more scrutiny with some states requiring the conducting of more than one procedure. Of particular popularity among psychological testing tools has been the Minnesota Multiple Personality Inventory (MMPI). While the discussions continue as to the veracity of this test for helping choose police candidates, little has been said about the racial or ethnic influence. This article examines a 15-year cohort of potential police recruits having a Hispanic surname as to the outcomes of their MMPI scores.

Pigmented basal cell carcinoma in Hispanics

Background: Pigmented basal cell carcinoma (PBCC) may occasionally be misdiagnosed as melanoma. In the Hispanic population, PBCC is common. Objective: We attempted to determine the prevalence of PBCC in a Hispanic population. Methods: A randomized, blinded, retrospective study was designed to assess histologic slides for the presence of microscopic pigment. Basal cell carcinoma (BCCs) from 30 patients with a Hispanic surname were compared histologically with BCCs from 30 patients with a northern European surname. In the prospective phase of the study, 15 Hispanic and 44 non-Hispanic patients with clinically suspected BCC or PBCC completed a questionnaire about their ethnic background and skin type to determine whether PBCC is more common in Hispanics. Results: Pigment was identified twice as frequently in BCCs from patients with a Hispanic surname than in BCCs from patients with a northern European surname. In the prospective clinical study, 66% of clinically diagnosed PBCCs were found in Hispanic patients, whereas only 11% of nonpigmented BCCs came from Hispanic patients ( p < 0.01). Conclusion: In patients with a BCC, PBCCs are more common in Hispanics than non-Hispanics. This may reflect an increased incidence of PBCCs in the Hispanic population.

Carotid stenosis in lacunar stroke.

The prevalence of extracranial carotid stenosis in patients with a clinical syndrome of lacunar stroke has not been extensively studied using noninvasive methods. We performed carotid duplex sonography on 168 patients referred to the neurosonology laboratory with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Strokes were independently classified as lacunar or nonlacunar hemispheric infarction without knowledge of the ultrasound results. We excluded patients with infarcts that were clearly vertebrobasilar, presumed to be cardioembolic, or had occurred greater than 1 year earlier, and patients for whom classification of the nature and location of the event was not possible. Fifty-five patients had lacunar and 54 had nonlacunar stroke. No differences in age, sex, distribution, or prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, prior ischemia, or Hispanic surname existed between the two groups. Tobacco use was more frequent in the nonlacunar group (p less than 0.01). The prevalence of important extracranial carotid stenosis (greater than or equal to 50% diameter reduction) in the lacunar stroke group was 13% (seven of 55) in the ipsilateral and 4% (two of 55) in the contralateral carotid artery. Of the 54 patients with nonlacunar hemispheric stroke, 41% (22) had ipsilateral (p less than 0.01) and 26% (14) had contralateral (p less than 0.01) carotid stenosis. This study suggests that important carotid stenosis is infrequent among patients presenting with a clinical syndrome of lacunar stroke. These data impact on decisions regarding cerebrovascular work-up in such patients.

Prevalence of asymptomatic hepatitis B infection in pregnant Mexican-American women

Recent reports document high rates of asymptomatic hepatitis B virus infection in pregnant Hispanic women of Caribbean and Latin American origin, frequently in the absence of identifiable risk factors. We hypothesized that the prevalence of asymptomatic hepatitis B virus infection in Mexican-American women was much lower and that most belonged to established risk groups. Three thousand seven hundred eight-nine pregnant women, 77% of whom had Hispanic surnames, were screened for hepatitis B surface antigen upon admission in labor to Medical Center Hospital in San Antonio. Twelve women, six of whom had Hispanic surnames, were found to have asymptomatic hepatitis B infections. The prevalence of asymptomatic infections was 3.2 per 1000 (95% confidence interval 1.6-5.5) in the total population, 2.0 per 1000 (95% confidence interval 0.7-4.5) in those with Hispanic surnames, and 7.0 per 1000 (95% confidence interval 2.5-15.0) in those with non-Hispanic surnames. Risk factors, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control, were found in five (42%) of the positive patients overall and in only one (17%) of the positive patients with an Hispanic surname. We conclude that, although asymptomatic hepatitis B infection is uncommon in these pregnant Mexican-American women, the absence of identifiable risk factors in the majority of those infected suggests that routine screening in this population is justified.

The pathology of sudden death in hypertensive individuals.

A study of sudden death in hypertensive individuals was carried out with reference to the case files of the Office of the Medical Examiner of Metropolitan Dade County, Miami, Florida, USA, during 1984. All autopsied cases in which the primary or contributory cause of death included hypertensive cardiovascular disease or its sequelae (e.g. intracerebral haemorrhage) were collected. These autopsied cases were then analysed as to age, race, Hispanic surname, sex, cause of death listed on the death certificate, and alcohol content at autopsy. In addition, the total body height, total body weight, fresh heart weight and fresh kidneys weight were categorized as was the degree of patency of the coronary arteries. Furthermore, past medical history, duration of any illness, and any medication noted at the scene of death were also tabulated. Briefly, these 182 autopsied cases represented approximately half the 422 cases of hypertension examined by this office, and represented 7.2 per cent of autopsies performed in that year. Most cases involved persons over 40 years of age, having a non-Hispanic surname, being white and male, and who died from atherosclerosis and hypertension, hypertension alone, or intracranial haemorrhage, with negative blood alcohol present in 44.5 per cent of the cases studied. The mean heart weight was 504–5 gm (S.D. = 162 gm), the mean right kidney weight was 179.9 gm (S.D. = 52.4 gm) and the mean left-kidney weight was 183.6 gm (S.D. = 59 gm). Histologically, fibrosis of the heart and arteriolonephro-sclerosis or arteriolar sclerosis of the kidneys were frequently seen. Quantitatively, the degree of involvement of atheromatous plaque in the coronary arteries was evenly divided among all degrees of severity. Most cases had a past medical history conducive to developing hypertension for an undocumented amount of time. Medication at the scene of death was absent in 65 per cent of the cases. Furthermore, the blood pressure was not documented in 73.6 per cent of cases. Discussion follows concerning the role of the medical examiner in such cases and the nature of that material not frequently studied by clinicians.