Mexican Teachers Research Articles

Report: Mexican teachers jailed and shot for protesting education reform

since earlier this spring to stop implementation of the government’s education reform program. While strikes in Mexico are hotly contested, there is no precedent for firing teachers in such massive numbers just for striking. The night of the firings, federal police attacked and removed the encampment that teachers had organised outside Mexico City’s education secretariat . On June 11, the police in Oaxaca City moved to dismantle a similar encampment in front of the state’s education office. When 500 heavily armed police advanced shooting tear gas, confrontations spilled into the surrounding streets, reminiscent of the way a similar strike in 2006 was attacked, and then mushroomed into an insurrection that lasted for months. One controversial provision of the federal government ’s education reform requires teachers to take tests to evaluate their qualifications. Those not making good marks are subject to firing. This year, when the government tried to begin testing, teachers struck in protest. In March, when Nuño tried to give awards to ‘distinguished and excellent teachers’, one of them, Lucero Navarette, a primary-school teacher in Chihuahua, told him, ‘The results can depend on many factors and the personal circumstances each one of us live through…many don’t get the result they deserve, because the job they actually do at school is very different from what comes out in the test’. Journalist Hernández Navarro says educators have a tradition of egalitarianism and mutual support, and believe that ‘there are no firstor second- or third-class teachers. Only teachers’. On March 22 Nuño also announced a measure that would spell the end to Mexico’s national system of teacher training schools, called the ‘normals ’. Instead of having to graduate from a normal , he said, anyone with a college degree in any subject could be hired to teach. Since the Mexican Revolution and before, the normals have been the vehicle for children from poor families in the countryside, and from the families of teachers themselves, to become trained educators . Returning to rural and working-class communities , teachers then often play an important role in developing movements for social justice. The normal schools themselves have historically been hotbeds of social protest and movements challenging the government. Guerrero’s normal school in Ayotzinapa was the target two years ago of an attack that led to the disappearance and possible murder of 43 students , which has since galvanised Mexico. Recently a commission of international experts criticised the Mexican government for refusing to cooperate in efforts to identify the fate of the students , and pointed to the possible involvement of officials at very high levels in their disappearance. ‘The leaders of Sección 22 (of the National Union of Education Workers) are hostages of the federal government’ INTERNATIONAL union rights Page 20 Volume 23 Issue 2 2016 DAVID BACON is a journalist and photographer in San Francisco. He is a member of the Editorial Board of International Union Rights O n Sunday, June 19, Federal armed forces fired on teachers, students and supporters in Nochixtlan, a town in the southern Mexico state of Oaxaca. Nine people were killed, and many more wounded. Twenty-three were detained by the police. Demonstrators had blocked a highway, a common form of protest in Mexico, after the federal government had arrested leaders of the teachers’ union in Oaxaca. On June 12, as Ruben Nuñez, head of Oaxaca’s teachers’ union – Seccion 22 of the Sindicato Nacional de Trabajadores de la Educación (SNTE, English: National Union of Education Workers) – was leaving a meeting in Mexico City, his car was overtaken and stopped by several large king-cab pickup trucks. Heavily armed men in civilian clothes exited and pulled him, another teacher, and a taxi driver from their cab, and then drove them at high speed to the airport. Nuñez was immediately flown over a thousand miles north to Hermosillo, Sonora, and dumped into a high-security federal lockup. Just hours earlier, unidentified armed agents did the same thing in Oaxaca itself, taking prisoner Francisco Villalobos, the union’s secondhighest officer, and flying him to the Hermosillo prison as well. Both joined Aciel Sibaja, who had been sitting in the same penitentiary...

Report: Mexican teachers jailed and shot for protesting education reform

Report: Mexican teachers jailed and shot for protesting education reform

Traducción y Adaptación al Español del Cuestionario de Satisfacción Laboral para Profesores

In this paper, the Spanish translation, adaptation, and validation processes of the Teachers Job Satisfaction Questionnaire (Lester, 1987) are described. 66 items with a five-option answer Likert scale were applied to 392 Mexican teachers (188 female, 204 male). Discrimination, reliability, and factor analyses were undertaken to obtain 33 items in seven factors: Supervision, Negative attitudes to teaching, Progress, Responsibility, Work itself, Social climate, and Working conditions. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was calculated (coefficient alpha) in .91 for the total score.

Bone mineral density and mammographic density in Mexican women.

Bone mineral density (BMD) is a putative marker for lifetime exposure to estrogen. Studies that have explored whether BMD is a determinant of mammographic density (MD) have observed inconsistent results. Therefore,we examined this potential association in a sample of women (n = 1,516) from the clinical sub-cohort in the Mexican teachers’ cohort (n = 115,315). We used multivariable linear regression to assess the association between quartiles of BMD and percent MD, as well as total dense and non-dense area of the breast, stratified by menopausal status. We also examined the associations by body mass index (BMI) (< 30 kg/m(2), ≥ 30 kg/m(2)). Overall, there was no association between BMD and MD among premenopausal women. However, when we stratified by BMI, there was a modest inverse association between BMD and percent MD (difference between extreme quartiles = -2.8, 95 % CI -5.9, 0.27, p trend = 0.04) among women with BMI < 30 kg/m(2), but a positive association among obese women (comparable difference = 5.1, 95 % CI 0.02, 10.1, p trend = 0.03;p interaction < 0.01). Among postmenopausal women, BMD and percent MD were positively associated after adjustment for BMI (p trend < 0.01). Postmenopausal women in the highest two quartiles of BMD had 4–5 % point higher percent MD compared to women in the lowest quartile. The association did not differ by BMI in postmenopausal women (p interaction = 0.76). Among obese premenopausal women as well as postmenopausal women, BMD was positively associated with percent MD. Among leaner premenopausal women, BMD and percent MD were modestly inversely associated. These findings support the hypothesis that cumulative exposure to estrogen (as measured by BMD) may influence MD.

La influencia de factores contextuales en las creencias y en el uso de libros de texto de profesores de lenguas mexicanos

While much has been written about the use of instructional materials in the field of language education, very few studies have actually studied the impact of the context in the use of materials in teachers’ practices. This work shows the findings of a study about the contextual factors that a group of experienced Mexican teachers believe shaped their lessons. Drawing on qualitative data, the study shows that factors such as the length of courses and lessons, the school facilities, the institutional practices to select textbooks as well as the institutional procedures to supervise teachers’ practices and assessment, explicitly emerged as the most influential in the teachers’ lessons.

Cohort Profile: The Mexican Teachers' Cohort (MTC).

Cohort Profile: The Mexican Teachers' Cohort (MTC).

Reproductive and lifestyle risk factors and mammographic density in Mexican women

PurposeSeveral breast cancer risk factors have been consistently associated with mammographic density (MD); however, data are limited for Hispanic women. MethodsWe examined data from 1007 premenopausal and 600 postmenopausal women in the Mexican Teachers' Cohort. Multivariable linear regression was used to estimate associations between risk factors and MD. ResultsAmong premenopausal women, age, current body mass index (BMI), BMI at age 18 years, and weight change since age 18 years were inversely associated with percent MD, whereas benign breast disease, alcohol intake, and breastfeeding 12 months or more were associated with higher percent MD. Among postmenopausal women, age, current BMI, BMI at age 18 years, weight change since age 18 years, and speaking or having parents who speak an indigenous language were inversely associated with percent MD, whereas benign breast disease and greater age at natural menopause were positively associated with percent MD. Other breast cancer risk factors, such as age at menarche, parity, and age at first pregnancy, were not significantly associated with density in either premenopausal or postmenopausal women. ConclusionsResults from the Mexican Teachers' Cohort are generally consistent with predictors of mammographic density observed in primarily non-Hispanic white populations; however, certain risk factors (e.g., parity) were not significantly associated with MD.

Teachers’ implicit theories of learning to read: A cross-cultural study in Ibero-American countries

The main goal of this study was to explore the nature and structure of implicit theories of Spanish-speaking in-service teachers on learning to read. The study sample consisted of 591 in-service teachers from various Ibero-American countries (Spain, Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador). The study analyzed attributional structure or teacher beliefs on learning to read based on principal component analysis. Findings revealed that many of the implicit theories on learning to read held by the teachers correspond to the historiography analysis and representational structure identified in previous studies. Based on main component analysis with varimax rotation, a factorial structure was found to be formed by the seven main factors related to the constructivist, nativist, maturationist, social, repetition, corrective, and psycho-linguistic learning theories. Also, significant differences were found in the learning theories of the teachers depending on geographical and cultural context. Spanish teachers were more likely to be associated with the psycho-linguistic and nativist theories. Mexican teachers were more closely associated with the constructivist theory, and both Guatemalan and Colombian teachers tended to be linked to the repetition-based theory. Finally, Ecuadorian teachers tended to rely on the nativist theory.

Restless Legs Syndrome and Hypertension in Mexican Women.

RLS is a common chronic disorder characterized by an irresistible need to move the lower limbs that affects sleep. Poor sleep has been associated with increased blood pressure (BP). Thus, we evaluated the cross-sectional relationship between RLS and hypertension (HTN) in a large cohort study in Mexico. In 2011, 54,925 female participants from the Mexican Teachers' Cohort responded to a four-item questionnaire based on the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group's minimal diagnostic criteria. Women also reported diagnosis and treatment of HTN. We used multivariable logistic regression models to estimate prevalence odds ratios (ORs) for HTN, adjusting for lifestyle and dietary factors. We also estimated adjusted prevalence ORs for HTN by frequency of RLS symptoms. We identified 9,230 cases (17%) of RLS, and the prevalence of HTN was 13.1% among women with RLS and 9.4% among those without RLS. The multivariable-adjusted prevalence OR for HTN comparing women with to those without RLS was 1.18 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-1.26). Compared to those without RLS, the prevalence OR of HTN in women reporting a symptom frequency of once a month or less was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.00-1.30); among those with symptoms two to four times a month, the OR was 1.17 (95% CI: 1.05-1.30); and for those with symptoms at least two times a week, the OR was 1.22 (95% CI: 1.10-1.35). We observed an association between RLS and HTN. Future studies should evaluate the impact of treating RLS on BP.

Abstract P322: Soda Consumption is Associated With Carotid Intima-Media Thickness Among Middle-Aged Mexican Women

Introduction: Soda intake is associated with cardiovascular disease. Other sweetened drinks often considered healthy alternatives to sodas could have a similar impact on cardiovascular risk. Hypothesis: Sugar-sweetened beverages commonly consumed by Hispanics have a negative influence on cardiovascular risk. Methods: We evaluated the cross-sectional relationship of sweetened beverages and common carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) in 1,054 disease-free women without diabetes, high cholesterol, history of stroke and/or myocardial infarction, from the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort. Beverage intake was estimated from a validated food-frequency questionnaire in 2008 and 4 years later, CIMT measurements were performed by neurologists. We defined subclinical atherosclerosis as CIMT ≥0.8mm or presence of plaque and beverage intake was categorized in quartiles of servings/day. Results: Mean (±SD) soda intake was 0.5 ± 0.7 servings/day among 45.2 ± 4.7 year old women and atherosclerosis prevalence was 8.7%. After adjusting for age, smoking, secondhand smoke, physical activity, oral contraception, menopausal status, SES, and diet, % change of CIMT per 1 serving/day of soda was 1.3 (95% CI 0.2-2.3). Comparing extreme quartiles of soda intake, we observed a 3.5% (95% CI 1.1-5.8; p-trend=0.003) increase in CIMT (Figure). Intake of artificially-sweetened soda, fruit infused water, and juice was not associated to CIMT. None of the beverages were associated to subclinical atherosclerosis. Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study, soda intake was associated to increased CIMT while artificially-sweetened soda, fruit water, or juice intakes were not. Our results support prior results on the adverse consequences of soda intake in cardiovascular health. Keywords: sugar-sweetened beverages, cardiovascular risk, intima media thickness, cross-sectional

Abstract P180: Ten-Year and Lifetime Cardiovascular Risk and Subclinical Cardiovascular Disease in Mexican Women

Introduction: Estimates of Lifetime Cardiovascular Risk may identify individuals with different levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk within the low short-term risk (10-year risk) for coronary heart disease (CHD) category defined by the Framingham Risk Score. Evidence of the applicability of this risk stratification in relatively young people is limited, especially among Hispanics. Hypothesis: We assessed the hypothesis that the risk categories from the combination of these two risk stratification scales are positively associated with subclinical CVD in Mexican women. Methods: We calculated 10-year CHD risk using the Framingham Risk Score and lifetime CVD risk based on risk factor burden in 759 women in Southern Mexico from the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort and evaluated the presence of subclinical CVD. We evaluated common carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), ankle-brachial index (ABI), and inter-arm blood pressure difference (IAD) using standard protocols and performed laboratory analyses from a fasting blood draw. We defined three risk strata: Low 10-year (&lt;10%)/Low lifetime risk, Low 10-year (&lt;10%)/High lifetime risk, and High 10-year risk (≥10%). We evaluated outcome measures continuously and estimated the prevalence of subclinical CVD for each risk strata. We defined subclinical CVD as IMT ≥0.8 mm or atheromatous plaque, ABI &lt;0.90, systolic IAD ≥20 mmHg or diastolic IAD ≥10 mmHg. We calculated the sensibility and specificity of the predicted risk categories to detect subclinical CVD. Results: Women evaluated had a mean age of 48.4 years, 22.5% (n=171) were classified as High 10-year CHD Risk, 58.8% (n=446) as Low 10-year/High lifetime risk and 18.7% (n=142) as Low 10-year/Low lifetime risk. We observed significant increase in IMT measurement according to increasing risk categories: 0.656 mm (±0.062), 0.704mm (±0.085), and 0.739mm (±0.089) (p= &lt;0.001). We found similar significant trends in ABI (p= 0.001), systolic IAD (p= &lt;0.001), and diastolic IAD (p= &lt;0.001). We observed a significant higher prevalence of at least one subclinical CVD as the risk category increased: 10.6%, 26.9%, and 45.6% (p= &lt;0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the combination of these scores to detect subclinical CVD was of 93% and 23%, whereas only considering the high vs. low 10-year risk categories these parameters were 37% and 83% respectively. Conclusion: The combination of these short-term and lifetime risk scores accurately identify differences in objective measurements of subclinical cardiovascular disease in Mexican women. Further calibration of these risk scores is needed to incorporate them in the risk assessment tools to identify individuals at risk for the implementation of preventive strategies in the Mexican population.

Abstract P309: N-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids and Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Mexican Women

Introduction: Long chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) may affect cardiovascular risk through various biological pathways. There is limited evidence of the relation with subclinical atherosclerosis (SA). Hypothesis: N-3 PUFAs is inversely associated with SA. Methods: We evaluated the cross-sectional association between whole blood eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and common carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) in 490 disease-free without self-reported hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, stroke, myocardial infarction, and/or peripheral arterial disease women in the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort from Chiapas and Yucatan. Between 2012 and 2013, neurologists assessed cIMT with an ultrasound and we measured whole blood EPA+DPA through HPLC in dried blood spots and expressed values as % of total identified fatty acids. In a reproducibility study we observed an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.89 (n=52). We categorized whole blood EPA+DHA in quartiles and defined SA as cIMT ≥0.8mm or presence of plaque. Mean adjusted differences and multivariable odds ratios with the lowest category as a reference were estimated using linear and logistic regression. Results: Mean (±SD) age was 46.5 (±7.7) and the prevalence of SA was 18.8% (n=92). Mean %EPA+DHA was 3.65±0.83 and the prevalence of low %EPA+DHA (below 4%) was 71%. In multivariable analyses (Table), we observed a suggestion of an inverse relation with %DHA but results were not statistically significant. The mean adjusted difference (95%CI) comparing extreme quartiles of %DHA was -0.018(-0.039 - 0.003), p-trend 0.17. The OR(95%CI) comparing extreme quartiles of %DHA was 0.59(0.27-1.27). Conclusions: In a population of middle-aged Mexican women whole blood EPA and DHA were not associated to intima-media thickness. The narrow distribution of N-3 PUFA levels in this population may have limited our ability to detect an association.

Abstract P074: Restless Legs Syndrome and Carotid Intima-Media Thickness in Women

Introduction: Restless legs syndrome (RLS) is a common chronic disorder characterized by an irresistible need to move the lower limbs that is usually worse in the evening and is associated with sleep disturbances. RLS has been associated with hypertension and has been proposed as a marker for increased cardiovascular risk. Hypothesis: Individuals with RLS have an increased common carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) relative to individuals without RLS. Methods: We evaluated cross-sectional relation of RLS and cIMT in 1,147 disease-free Mexican women of the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort. In 2011, participants responded to a follow-up questionnaire that included standardized questions addressing the four minimal diagnostic criteria of the International Restless Legs Study Group. Participants were asked: “Do you have unpleasant leg sensations (like crawling, loss of sensation or pain) combined with restlessness and an urge to move your legs?”, “Do these symptoms occur only at rest?”, “Does moving improve these symptoms?”, “Are these symptoms worse in the evening or at night compared with the morning?” Women who answered yes to all the four questions were defined as having RLS. Between 2012 and 2013, a subsample of participants were invited for a clinical visit where neurologists assessed cIMT with an ultrasound. cIMT measurements were found to be reproducible in a substudy in 52 participants (intra-class correlation=0.89). We defined subclinical atherosclerosis as a cIMT ≥0.8 mm or the presence of plaque. Results: Among women with a mean age of 48.2 (SD±4.3), the prevalence of RLS was 14.2% (cases, 163). The age-adjusted mean difference of cIMT comparing participants with RLS to those without RLS was 0.009mm (95%CI -0.004 to 0.023). After further adjustment for diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, migraine, oral contraceptive use, menopause, smoking, body mass index, physical activity and alcohol, the mean difference of cIMT comparing participants with and without RLS was not statistically different (0.007mm; 95%CI -0.007 to 0.021). The prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis was 27% (n=44) in those with RLS and 21.9% (n=215) in those without RLS. The age-adjusted OR comparing women with RLS to those without RLS was 1.23 (95%CI 0.83-1.82). In the multivariable model the OR remained non-significant (1.16, 95%CI 0.77-1.74). Conclusions: In this cross-sectional study in middle-aged women, RLS was not associated to cIMT. Our results do not support the observation that individuals with RLS are at an increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Endogenous hormones, inflammation, and body size in premenopausal Mexican women: results from the Mexican Teachers' Cohort (MTC, ESMaestras).

Obesity is a major risk factor for several cancers, including female cancers. Endogenous hormones and inflammatory factors may mediate the association between anthropometric measures and cancer risk, although these associations have been studied mainly in Caucasians. The aim of the current study was to explore the association of circulating hormones, adipokines, and inflammatory factors with obesity and overweight in premenopausal Mexican women. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 504 premenopausal women from the large Mexican Teachers' Cohort (MTC, ESMaestras) study to determine the association of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), its major circulating binding protein (IGFBP-3), leptin, adiponectin, C-peptide, and C-reactive protein with comprehensive measures of body size. Biomarkers were measured by immunoassays. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to compare geometric mean biomarker concentrations with measured markers of body size and adiposity. Mean IGF-I and IGFBP-3 concentrations significantly increased with increasing height and leg length. Concentrations of IGF-I, adiponectin, and the IGF-I/IGFBP-3 ratio strongly decreased with increasing BMI, weight, waist and hip circumferences, waist-to-hip ratio (WHpR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), while CRP, leptin, C-peptide concentrations, and the leptin/adiponectin ratio strongly increased. Adiponectin and the leptin/adiponectin ratio remained significantly related to measures of central adiposity (waist circumference, WHpR, and WHtR) after adjustment by body mass index. The results of our study suggest a strong relation between biomarkers and body size in this study population and suggest that different fat depots may have different metabolic properties.

Canonical pedagogical content knowledge by CoRes for teaching acid–base chemistry at high school

The topic of acid–base chemistry is one of the oldest in general chemistry courses and it has been almost continuously in academic discussion. The central purpose of documenting the knowledge and beliefs of a group of ten Mexican teachers with experience in teaching acid–base chemistry in high school was to know how they design, prepare and organize their classes inside and outside the classroom, from which a set of teaching–learning sequences will be developed, essentially to train new teachers. We decided to document Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), by means of two methodological tools from Loughran, Mulhall and Berry: Content Representation (CoRe), and Pedagogical and Professional experience Repertoire (PaP-eR). In this article, we relate only the first of these tools. It was also important to document concepts, skills and attitudes, so we have made the analysis based on these three items. The main finding was to construct a Canonical PCK including the central concepts of pH and strength in the topic of acid–base chemistry from the main phrases included in the Content Representation answered by those outstanding Mexican teachers. We chose the topic of “acid–base chemistry” because there are numerous examples of its importance related to sustainability (among them acid rain or acidification of oceans), everyday issues (including stomach acidity, antacids, health troubles with the pH of blood and urine), or problems with the longevity of books related to the acidity of paper. Also, it is of fundamental importance because the students often present many alternative conceptions about it.

Learning English in Mexico: Perspectives From Mexican Teachers of English

Learning English in Mexico: Perspectives From Mexican Teachers of English

Factor structure of the Spanish version of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 in Mexican women.

Structure of the Spanish version of the nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) has been inconclusive. We report the factor structure of the PHQ-9 in 55,555 women from the Mexican Teachers' Cohort (MTC). Factor structure of the PHQ-9 was assessed by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses in two sub-samples (n = 27,778 and 27,777 respectively). A one-factor model of the PHQ-9 was the solution with the best fit to the data, exhibiting strong factor loadings (0.71 to 0.90) and high internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89). A prevalence rate of moderate to high severity of depressive symptoms of 12.6% was identified. Results suggest that a global score is an appropriate measure of depressive symptoms and commend the use of the Spanish PHQ-9 as a measure of depression for research and clinical purposes.

‘Here there is order, full stop!’ – radical reflexivity and teachers’ migrations from the orders of education toward the (dis)orders of (self-)relations

This article derives from a case study involving in-depth interviews of 20 Mexican and Spanish teachers. Testimonies are analysed from teachers engaged in a training programme for ‘radical reflexivity’ known as Seekers After Truth (SAT). This training is informed by theory and practices from the psychotherapeutic and spiritual traditions. Evidence discussed in this article focuses on participating teachers’ positionings within the orders of education, understood as the means through which they organize and orchestrate teaching and learning. The article presents shifts occurring in their teaching practice and frames a discussion of these within Giddens’ analysis of modernity’s simultaneous drive toward ‘abstract systems’ and ‘pure’ relations. It is argued that the SAT’s training in ‘radical reflexivity’, which focuses exclusively on the ‘personal’ rather than the ‘professional’, effectively catalyses migrations in teacher identity, agency and relations. These migrations challenge and compensate for the institutional and individual abstractions that are often experienced as problematic both for teaching and for learning.

Lifetime prevalence and underdiagnosis of migraine in a population sample of Mexican women.

The objective of this report is to evaluate migraine, migraine characteristics, and underdiagnosis of migraine in a large population sample of Mexican women. Participants are part of a prospective cohort of Mexican teachers. Between 2011 and 2013, 77,855 participants completed a detailed questionnaire on headache characteristics. Migraine was defined according to criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICDH-II). We found lifetime migraine prevalence was 19%, prevalence peaked at 40-44 years (20.4%) and only 45.1% participants with migraine had a previous diagnosis of the disease. Estimated lifetime prevalence of migraine was higher than previous reports in Latin America. Migraine may be underdiagnosed and undertreated in Mexico despite its considerable burden.

Abstract P393: Consumption of Bread and Tortilla and Incidence of Self-Reported Hypertension in Mexican Women

Background: Mexico is undergoing a fast-paced epidemiologic and nutritional transition and hypertension affects 31% of Mexicans. Bread and wheat tortilla have almost three times more sodium than corn tortillas and long-term sodium intake may increase the risk of hypertension. Methods and Results: We investigated the relation between bread and tortilla intake and the incidence of self-reported hypertension in 43,619 women from the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort who were free of hypertension at baseline in 2008 when diet was assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Between baseline and 2011 we identified 2,699 incident cases of self-reported hypertension. Total bread (white and whole grain) and corn and wheat tortilla consumption were categorized into energy-adjusted quintiles and logistic regression models were fit. Median servings per week for extreme categories were 2.0 and 12.5 for total bread (1.4 and 11.0 for white bread; 0.2 and 3.0 for whole grain), 3.0 and 17.5 for corn tortilla, and 0.2 and 3.0 for wheat tortilla, respectively. The multivariable-adjusted odds of hypertension in the highest quintile of intake of total bread were 18% higher than the odds for individuals in the lowest quintile (OR=1.18; 95%CI=1.03-1.35; P-trend=0.12); corn tortilla intake was not significantly associated with hypertension (OR=0.88; 95%CI=0.76-1.01; P-trend=0.05). White bread appeared to be responsible for the observed association, the OR comparing extreme quintiles was 1.18 (OR=1.18; 95%CI=1.03-1.35; P-trend=0.0007). We did not observe an association between whole grain bread and wheat tortilla and hypertension. Conclusion: Bread consumption may affect the incidence of hypertension, while corn tortilla, a substitute for bread in the Hispanic population was not associated with incident hypertension. Results need to be confirmed with extended follow-up.