Association of Neighborhood Context with 6-Year Change in Metabolic Syndrome: Results from HCHS/SOL

The effects of ecological factors (i.e., racial/ethnic segregation and neighborhood change processes) on metabolic health are understudied and mixed among diverse Hispanic/Latino populations. In the U.S., 35% of Hispanic/Latino adults have metabolic syndrome (Heiss et al., 2014). However, the unique effects of the segregation, and neighborhood change processes on metabolic health are not well understood for this population. Therefore, this dissertation aimed to examine the independent associations between (1) two dimensions of segregation—isolation and evenness, (2) gentrification, (3) income inequality trajectory and 6-year incidence metabolic syndrome and how these associations were modified by Hispanic/Latino background and acculturation (e.g., preferred language of interview, nativity combined with years in the US). We utilized data from data 6,857 adults enrolled in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL). We conducted logistics regressions to estimate odds ratio and 95% confidence intervals for the role of each neighborhood characteristic on metabolic syndrome development, adjusting for a priori selected covariates. In Aim 1, we found that isolation (OR, 95% CI), but not evenness (OR, 95% CI), was associated with increased odds of metabolic syndrome and associations were not modified by language or Hispanic/Latino background. In Aim 2 and 3, respectively, we found no association between the independent relationships of gentrification, income inequality trajectory and odds of metabolic syndrome at 6 years. Similarly, these associations were not modified by language and Hispanic/Latino background. The current study is the first to document the role that various dimensions of segregation and neighborhood change processes have on incidence of metabolic syndrome in a diverse sample of Hispanic/Latino adults. This research has wide implications for understanding the mechanisms that underlie the link between residential segregation and metabolic health among Hispanic/Latino of diverse background.