Association of Viral Exposures and Parity with CRP Among Childbearing Age Mexican American Women

In two cross-sectional analyses, the associations of parity status and viral exposure burden with C-reactive protein (CRP) were examined in a nationally representative sample of non-pregnant Mexican American (MA) women of childbearing age, after accounting for socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health-related factors. The role of acculturation and other factors in modifying the association of parity status and viral exposure burden with CRP was also investigated. Existing data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999-2010) were used. In the first analysis, a history of live birth within one year, compared to nulliparity, was significantly associated with elevated CRP among MA women with low level of acculturation. In the same group, a history of live birth more than one year ago was associated, albeit statistically non-significantly, with a two-fold risk of elevated CRP. Parity status was not associated with an increased risk of elevated CRP among MA women with moderate and high levels of acculturation. Measured socioeconomic, lifestyle, and health related variables, with the exception of waist circumference, had limited effect on the observed associations. In the second analysis, among Mexico-born women, those with high viral exposure burden, compared to seronegative status, had a two-fold, albeit statistically non-significant, increased risk of elevated CRP. Among U.S.-born women, viral exposure burden was not associated with an increased risk of elevated CRP. Among MA women with borderline high and high serum total cholesterol levels, women with at least one viral exposure had a significantly increased risk of elevated CRP, compared to seronegative women. Mexico-born women and low acculturated MA women with histories of live birth and viral exposures appear to be at an increased risk of elevated CRP. Results suggest that increased clinical attention should be given to the postpartum inflammatory status of recent MA immigrant women and offer preliminary evidence to support more consistent lipid screening and viral exposure evaluation among MA immigrant women.