Vision Impairment and Falls Among Older Mexican Americans Over 16 Years Follow-Up.

A cross-sectional investigation of relationships between food pleasure and worry, eating behaviors, and cultural attributes among Mexican American adults

ObjectiveTo examine sex differences in the relationship between comorbid anemia and heart failure (HF) with 13-year all-cause mortality in Mexican American older adults aged 75years and older.MethodsParticipants (N = 1,615) aged ≥75years were from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (2004/05-2016). Participants were categorized by anemia status, HF status, and sex. Cox proportional hazards regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) for all-cause mortality.ResultsHF only was associated with higher mortality in males (HR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.12-1.78; p = 0.0039) and females (HR = 1.52, 95% CI = 1.24-1.85; p < 0.0001). Anemia only (HR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.06-2.23; p = 0.0248) and comorbid anemia and HF (HR = 1.74; 95% CI = 1.00-3.03; p = 0.0484) were associated with higher mortality only in males.ConclusionAnemia and HF were associated with greater mortality risk among older Mexican American males than females.

Association between sleep duration and glycemic levels in adults with prediabetes: a population-based study.

BackgroundLatino immigrants in the United States represent diverse national origins, with Mexicans comprising the largest group. Cognitive health disparities among Latino immigrants may reflect differences in migration experiences, including age at migration, socioeconomic differences, and acculturation. Whether Mexican immigrants differ from Latin American immigrants in cognitive outcomes remains unclear.ObjectiveThis study examined the independent and interactive effects of Mexican origin and age at migration on cognitive levels and decline compared to other Latin American immigrants. We also test whether socioeconomic and acculturation factors help explain differences in cognitive outcomes.MethodsData came from 2077 Latino immigrants in the Health and Retirement Study (2014-2020). Cognition was assessed using the Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Mixed-effects models evaluated the main and interaction effects of origins and age at migration on age-related decline, controlling for demographic, health-related, socioeconomic, and acculturation covariates.ResultsMexican immigrants had significantly lower cognitive levels than Latin American immigrants. However, after adjusting for socioeconomic indicators and language acculturation, Mexican immigrants demonstrated higher cognitive scores. Among Mexicans, late-life migration was associated with significantly poorer cognitive levels, which persisted after accounting for socioeconomic and acculturation factors. No significant differences were observed in rates of cognitive decline by origin or age at migration.ConclusionsLate-life migration is associated with poorer cognitive outcomes among Mexican immigrants. Findings indicate that socioeconomic and acculturation factors mask underlying differences in cognitive performance between Mexican and Latin American immigrants, underscoring the need to consider both migration experiences and social context when evaluating cognitive disparities.

Introduction Vaping-related content is prevalent on social media, including industry-sponsored advertising and user-generated content that normalizes use. While previous research suggests a link between social media exposure and vaping, this relationship remains understudied among vulnerable populations like Mexican Americans. This study examined the relationship between daily social media exposure and vaping among Mexican American young adults. Methods Participants were 51 Mexican American college students aged 18–25 years (72.5% female) who were current vapers. Participants were involved in an ecological momentary assessment study, in which they reported exposure to vaping-related content on social media, time spent on social media, and vaping behaviors on their smartphones over a 14-day period in Spring 2023. Linear mixed models were used to assess the number of times participants vaped each day. Two time-varying covariates—times saw vaping advertisements and hours on social media—were analyzed as both between-subject (average across days) and within-subject (day-level) effects. Models were adjusted for sex, age, Pell Grant recipient status, border institution attendance, and social media engagement (e.g., posting vape-related photos or videos). Results There was no significant relationship between the number of times a participant saw vaping ads and daily vaping frequency (Model 1). However, as daily hours on social media increased, so did vaping frequency (Model 2, p = 0.018; Model 3, p = 0.027). Discussion Time spent on social media is associated with an increased frequency of daily vaping among Mexican American college students. Social media may influence vaping behaviors independently of industry-sponsored marketing or explicit pro-vaping content. Further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms or other factors (e.g., online peer influence) by which social media impacts vaping.

Abstract Introduction Parent-reported sleep (bedtime, sleep duration, night wakings, problems) has been associated with toddler social-emotional problems. However, most studies have relied on a single reporter for both child sleep and social-emotional problems in predominantly middle-class, non-Latino White families. Therefore, this study included both objective and subjective assessments of toddler sleep, along with parent generational status and mood, when examining correlates of risk for social-emotional problems among Mexican American toddlers. Methods 238 mothers (18-45 years; mean education 12.4+2.8 years; 60% first generation) of Mexican American toddlers (56% boys; 12-16 months) completed the following surveys (53% in Spanish): Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ), the Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), and the PROMIS Depression short-form. Toddlers wore an actigraph for 7 nights to measure nighttime sleep. Logistic regression examined BITSEA risk for social-emotional problems based on validated clinical cutoffs, and included actigraphy and parent-reported sleep variables that were correlated with the social-emotional problem total score. We controlled for demographic (child age and sex, parent age and education [years]) and contextual (generational status [first generation born in Mexico], PROMIS Depression T-score) factors. Results Neither actigraphic nor parent-reported sleep variables were significantly associated with risk for social-emotional problems (all ps &amp;gt;.15). In contrast, each 1-point increase in parent age was associated with an 11% increase in the odds of toddler risk for social-emotional problems (OR=1.11, p&amp;lt;.001) and each additional year of parent education was associated with a 30% increase in the odds of toddler risk for social-emotional problems (OR=1.30, p&amp;lt;.001). Finally, each 1-point increase in parent depressive symptoms T-score was associated with a 6% decrease in the odds of toddler risk for social-emotional problems (OR=0.94; p=.006). Conclusion Contrary to previous studies, objectively and subjectively measured toddler sleep were not associated with risk for social-emotional problems in this sample of Mexican American toddlers when controlling for demographic and contextual factors. The demographic findings, although counterintuitive, may reflect heightened awareness or reporting of social-emotional problems among older, more educated caregivers. While sleep remains essential for child development, it must be considered within the context of family ecology when considering the risk of early social-emotional problems in community-based samples. Support (if any) R01HL163859

Legal blindness due to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) in patients with diabetes mellitus can be preventable if detected and treated in a timely manner. Although vitrectomy has traditionally been reserved for complicated cases, advances in surgical techniques and a better understanding of pathophysiology have driven its evaluation as an early or preventive strategy in selected patients. This article presents a systematic review in PubMed (2020-2025), with an emphasis on classic studies, on the safety and efficacy of vitrectomy as an early intervention in patients with PDR, before the onset of major complications, using the keywords "diabetic vitrectomy," "proliferative diabetic retinopathy," "retinal diseases," and "vitreous hemorrhage". Most of the specific evidence in Mexican or Latin American populations is limited, which is why general evidence used as a reference in the region was also included. Studies published in English and in open-access were included. The reviewed studies consistently report that early vitrectomy helps maintain or improve visual acuity during follow-up, reduces progression to severe complications, and shows low rates of intraoperative adverse events. It is concluded that early vitrectomy in selected patients with PDR represents a safe and effective strategy with the potential to preserve vision and alter the natural history of the disease. However, prospective multicenter clinical trials are needed to establish standardized selection criteria and validate its long-term impact.

Background: Informal dementia caregiving constitutes a substantial yet underrecognized form of work that places significant demands on family caregivers. Mexican American families, who experience disproportionate dementia burden and structural barriers to care, often rely on intensive family-based caregiving. While prior research has examined cultural values, stigma, and resource barriers separately, less attention has been paid to how these factors interact within a work system to shape caregiver burden. Objective: We characterized informal dementia caregiving among Mexican American families as work performed within a sociotechnical system, and examined how work system components interact to shape caregiver outcomes using the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) 3.0 framework. Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 Mexican American dementia caregivers in a U.S.-Mexico border community. Using constructivist grounded theory, we analyzed informal caregiving as work embedded within everyday contexts through the SEIPS 3.0 lens. Analysis examined interactions among person characteristics, caregiving tasks, organizational supports, tools and resources, and the broader cultural and linguistic environment. Findings: Caregiving labor was sustained by strong cultural commitment but its structure limited delegation and support access. Cultural beliefs framing care as a non-delegable family responsibility, stigma inhibiting disclosure, demanding physical and emotional labor, language barriers restricting organizational access, and uneven distribution of care within families collectively imposed burden on individual family members, most often daughters or wives. Caregivers actively sought information and resources, yet system-level barriers constrained utilization. These interacting conditions produced predictable outcomes: exhaustion, declining health, and burnout. Conclusions: Viewing dementia caregiving as work clarifies why relationally meaningful care becomes unsustainable without supportive systems. Caregiver burden emerges from interactions within the caregiving work system rather than isolated cultural or individual factors. This perspective highlights stigma reduction and language-concordant services as key intervention leverage points through system-level approaches that sustain family caregiving without relying on individual endurance.

Left ventricular structural abnormalities (concentric left ventricular remodeling [CR] or left ventricular hypertrophy [LVH]) and left ventricular diastolic dysfunction (LVDD) are key components of clinical diastolic heart failure (HF) and are associated with cardiometabolic risk factors, which are highly prevalent in Mexican Americans. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of subclinical LV structural abnormalities (LVH or CR) and LVDD (Stage B HF) in a sample of asymptomatic Hispanics/Latinos and to examine the cardiometabolic determinants of these abnormalities. Demographic, metabolic biomarkers, and body composition data were obtained in 1128 participants (57.8% females, mean age 52.6 ± 0.8 years) from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort study. Abnormalities in cardiac structure and function were evaluated using transthoracic echocardiography. Visceral fat tissue was estimated utilizing dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Weighted logistic regression analyses were conducted while adjusting for demographic and clinical covariates. Weighted prevalence rates of LV structural abnormalities (55.9% ± 2.2%) and LVDD (19.6% ± 2.0%) were high. In adjusted models, age, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, and metabolic syndrome were associated with CR, LVH, or LVDD. In women, but not men, higher visceral adiposity and the presence of metabolic syndrome were associated with CR or LVH. There is a high prevalence of Stage B HF among Hispanics/Latinos. This study presents evidence of independent differential relationships of visceral adiposity, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension on CR, LVH, or LVDD in a Mexican American cohort. Targeted intervention strategies are important for preventing early cardiac abnormalities and mitigating the transition to symptomatic disease.

Lipoprotein(a) Distribution Across Race/Ethnicity and Association with Mortality Outcomes in NHANES III (1988-1994) with Follow‑Up to 2019.

Socioeconomic and racial disparities in polypharmacy among U.S. adults: Evidence from NHANES 2011-2018.

Mexican American Mothers’ Expectations and Supports for Autistic Youth During the High School Transition: Education, Self-Sufficiency, and Social Communication

Current research has demonstrated that the development of overactive bladder (OAB) is related to the inflammatory response within the organism, and that this inflammatory response is closely associated with dietary factors; Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to investigate the connection between OAB and the dietary inflammatory index (DII). This cross-sectional analysis was based on data drawn from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) spanning the years 2011 to 2018, which included 21,263 participants (50.6% female, 49.4% male). The mean age of participants was 50.5 years, with the racial/ethnic distribution as follows: 42.9% non-Hispanic White, 21.1% non-Hispanic Black, 13.9% Mexican American, and 22.1% from other racial/ethnic groups. We employed weighted multiple logistic regression to analyze the correlation between DII and OAB, adjusting for potential confounders. This study comprised 21,263 people from the NHANES dataset. Following adjustment for all potential confounding variables, a positive association was observed between DII and the risk of OAB (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.16-1.21). Smoothed curve fitting indicated a nonlinear correlation between DII and OAB, with an inflection point at 1.92. Stratified analyses demonstrated that this correlation was stable across different population subgroups. This study identified a significant nonlinear association between DII and OAB syndrome, suggesting that DII may serve as a useful indicator for predicting and diagnosing OAB.

ABSTRACT The article studies the entangled representations of undocumented Mexican border-crossing and migrant activism in recent works of Mexican American graphic fiction. These works are rooted in a long cultural tradition of artivism, that is, using art as a vehicle of political activism. The strong appeal of graphic narratives among broad audiences endows works of Mexican American graphic fiction with particular potential for artistic interventions in public discourses on undocumented migration and migrant rights. This article analyses how Duncan Tonatiuh’s graphic novel for children Undocumented: A Worker’s Fight (2018) and Hector Rodriguez’s superhero comic series El Peso Hero (2011-) support the undocumented and their civil and labour rights within the current debates about irregular migration from Latin America to the United States. It specifically demonstrates how these narratives draw on aspects of Mexican and American visual and narrative cultures to inform audiences about undocumented migration, empower migrants, and criticise their exploitation on both sides of the border.

Familism, a core cultural value among Mexican Americans, often serves to protect Latinx individuals from negative mental health outcomes as compared to their non-Latinx peers. Yet, its moderating effect on passive coping strategies, particularly rumination, has been called into question. This study explores how familism, alongside another key cultural value, respect, may provide a more nuanced understanding of how collectivist cultural values work to protect mental health differently across individuals and contexts. In a sample of 191 Latinx college students, regression analyses tested whether familism and respect moderated the effect of rumination on symptoms of depression and anxiety. While familism significantly predicted depressive symptoms, and anxiety, it did not moderate the relationship between rumination and depressive symptoms or anxiety. On the other hand, respect was found to moderate the relationship between rumination and depressive and anxiety symptoms in a buffering way: as rumination increased, those with higher levels of respect experienced fewer symptoms of depression and anxiety than those with lower levels of respect. These findings demonstrate that there are limitations to the moderating effect of familism for Latinx college students and that the cultural value of respect may offer a protective effect that warrants further investigation.

Screen Use While Eating and Toddler Dietary Intake in Mexican American Families.

Obesity is associated with distinct ECG manifestations due to altered body fat distribution, which may vary by race/ethnicity. However, few studies have evaluated these differences. We analyzed 7315 participants (mean age 59.6±13.5years; 52.4% female; 51.5% non-Hispanic White, 24.5% non-Hispanic Black, 24.0% Mexican American) from NHANES III, excluding those with prior cardiovascular disease or missing ECGs. Obesity was defined as BMI ≥30kg/m2. Standard 12‑lead ECGs were recorded and processed centrally. ECG waveform amplitudes and durations, PR, QRS and QT intervals, and P-, QRS-, and T-wave axes were measured automatically with visual inspection. Multivariable linear regression assessed associations between obesity and ECG parameters overall and stratified by race/ethnicity. Obesity was associated with prolonged QRS, QT, and PR durations (differences [msec] obese vs. non-obese [95% CI]: 2.17 [1.43-2.90], 1.90 [0.87-3.01], and 4.82 [3.40-6.24], respectively; all p<0.001), and more leftward P-, QRS-, and T-wave axes (differences [degrees]: -7.36 [-8.54, -6.18], -9.53 [-11.52, -7.53], -7.02 [-8.60, -5.43]; all p<0.001). Obesity was further associated with lower R and S amplitudes and prolonged wave durations in nearly all leads, with exceptions in III and aVF. Most associations were consistent across races, though effects on S amplitude in V3/V4, R duration in aVL, and S duration in II were weaker in Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic Whites (interaction p=0.01-0.03). Obesity influences ECG waveform amplitudes and durations, largely independent of race/ethnicity. These findings support non-race-specific ECG interpretation while highlighting potential limitations of amplitude- and duration-based criteria.

Susceptibility to adult metabolic diseases varies significantly across ethnicities. Asian adults exhibit elevated risks associated with obesity at lower body mass index (BMI) levels; whether similar patterns occur in pediatric populations remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate how metabolic indicators associated with childhood obesity vary across diverse racial/ethnic groups. Age-matched adolescents (12-18 years) from diverse regions across China-along with adolescents from Hispanic, Mexican American (MA), Non-Hispanic Black (NHB), Non-Hispanic White (NHW), and Other ethnic groups from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)-were enrolled. Comprehensive demographic, anthropometric and metabolic data-including glycemic parameters, lipid profiles, and insulin resistance indices-were analyzed. Cross-sectional mediation analysis was conducted to explore the potential biological pathways underlying the relationship between obesity (BMI standard deviation score [SDS] as the exposure) and metabolic dysfunction (metabolic indicators as the outcomes), testing cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) as potential mediators. Average direct and causal mediation effects were evaluated, with results interpreted as statistical associations consistent with the mediation framework. The study included 632 adolescents (55.22% male, mean age 14.51 ± 1.87 years, median BMI 31.55 kg/m2). Compared to Chinese adolescents, NHB had higher HbA1c, NHW had lower HbA1c; both showed lower HOMA-β. All groups had higher HDL-C, lower total cholesterol and LDL-C levels than Chinese adolescents. HbA1c correlated positively with BMI SDS in Chinese and MA adolescents. Fasting insulin and HOMA-IR correlated positively with BMI SDS in all groups except Hispanic adolescents, while HOMA-β correlated positively in all groups except Hispanic and NHW adolescents. In Chinese adolescents, ACTH mediated the associations of BMI SDS with fasting insulin and HOMA-IR (P = 0.014 and 0.020 for mediation effects, respectively). This first multiethnic pediatric metabolic comparison reveals distinct racial/ethnic patterns, with ACTH emerging as a novel mediator in Chinese adolescents. Findings underscore the need for ethnicity-tailored prevention strategies.

Background:Health equity research has recently been criticized by both liberals and conservatives in the U.S. This research holds potential to serve all U.S. populations by examining mechanisms of resilience. Resilience may broadly be defined as the development of the ability to withstand adversity that leads to the prevention or recovery from disease.Purpose:This is an invited paper stemming from a Society for Equity Neuroscience (SEQUINS) inaugural Hall of Fame lecture in May of 2025.Methods:The authors use research focused on Mexican Americans in the Brain Attack Surveillance in Corpus Christi (BASIC) project to illustrate how health equity research may be informative for all U.S. populations. BASIC is a community-based project with strong collaborations in the community.Results:Over the 25 years of BASIC’s existence, the stroke disparity among Mexican Americans and non-Hispanic White Americans has largely vanished with respect to incidence, recurrence, and outcome (neurologic, functional, and cognitive). This suggests that resilience mechanisms among Mexican Americans have improved stroke health outcomes. Using a framework suggested by Taylor and colleagues, the authors propose that these resilience mechanisms may help all Americans regardless of race and ethnicity.Conclusions:Studying resilience offers a novel, hopeful aspect to health equity research that may demonstrate benefits across the U.S. Still, resilience implies the need to suffer first. Improving health outcomes by removing barriers and ensuring adequate healthcare for all Americans should be the goal. Health equity researchers should work closely with communities to design and conduct projects that are important to that community.