non-Hispanic Caucasians Research Articles

Age and race related changes in mammographic parenchymal patterns

The relationship between breast parenchymal patterns and age was examined in a nonselected, nonreferred group. The three major racial-ethnic subgroups represented have markedly different incidences of breast cancer, with Anglos (nonHispanic caucasians), Hispanics, and American Indians having higher to lower incidence rates of breast cancer, respectively. Mammograms were performed in 519 victims of nonhospital, nonnatural or unexplained deaths in New Mexico. The percentage of dense breast patterns (DY + P2) decreased with age for all groups. American Indian women showed a much earlier shift to a lower density parenchymal pattern than Anglo or Hispanic women. At older ages Indian women continued to have a slightly lower percentage of dense breast patterns than the other groups. The changes in breast parenchymal pattern with age and ethnic groups may reflect factors related to risk of breast cancer.

Incidence and anatomic distribution of cutaneous melanoma among United States Hispanics.

Using the data base for melanoma incidence compiled by the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute, we compared the incidence and anatomic distribution of primary cutaneous melanomas in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Caucasian populations and in blacks between 1973 and 1981. Cases were divided into United States whites, New Mexico (NM) whites (non-Hispanic Caucasians), NM Hispanics, Puerto Rico (PR) residents by definition Hispanic, and US blacks. Among whites, the highest incidence was 8.0 per 100,000 and was ten times that of US blacks. The incidence among PR and NM Hispanic residents was 1.6 to 3.7 times that of US blacks. The anatomic distribution among NM Hispanics was similar to US and NM whites for both genders. In contrast, among PR residents the anatomic distribution in both genders was most common for the leg, similar to that for blacks. Spaniards who migrated to PR have more admixture with blacks from Africa than Spaniards who migrated to the mainland. This suggests a genetic predilection for the occurrence of melanoma on the lower extremity among PR residents as opposed to NM Hispanics.

Ethnic differences in health knowledge and behaviors related to the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease. The San Antonio Heart Study.

From a public health perspective, Mexican Americans are widely recognized as an understudied population. Available evidence suggests that Mexican Americans shared equally with non-Hispanic Caucasians (Anglo Americans or "Anglos") in the national decline in coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality during 1970-1976. This finding is somewhat unexpected in view of Mexican Americans' relatively lower socioeconomic status, and it suggests that studying this ethnic group may be strategic in understanding which factors have operated to produce the decline in general. Data obtained from a random sample of Mexican Americans and Anglos residing in three socioeconomically and culturally distinct neighborhoods in San Antonio, Texas, indicated that Anglos were significantly more informed than Mexican Americans about CHD prevention and generally reported engaging in more behaviors specifically aimed toward prevention than did Mexican Americans. Levels of knowledge were not particularly high in either ethnic group; moreover, reported behavior lagged considerably behind knowledge. While Mexican Americans were significantly less likely than Anglos to volunteer knowledge about major heart attack symptoms, there were negligible ethnic differences in awareness of the need for prompt utilization of medical treatment resources when a heart attack actually occurs. Awareness of the need for prompt action was notably high among both ethnic groups. Although limitations in the nature and scope of the data dictate that these findings should be interpreted with caution, the results tend to argue in the direction that prompt access to medical treatment when coronary emergencies occur may have made a relatively greater contribution to the CHD mortality decline in both Mexican Americans and Anglos than did changes in life-style. Much additional data are needed, however, before a definitive explanation of the decline will be possible.