Study Examines Health Factors Among Latino Youth

The Hispanic Community Children’s Health: Study of Latino Youth (SOL-Youth) represents the first national study of overweight, obesity and cardiometabolic risk factors among Hispanic children living in the United States. SOL-Youth, which will be conducted across four field centers in the Bronx, Chicago, Miami and San Diego, will recruit a sample of 1,600 boys and girls, ages 8 to 14, that have at least one parent participating in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latino Health (HCHS/SOL), the landmark NIH study established in 2008 to address many unanswered questions concerning Latino health. Einstein researchers are conducting the SOL-Youth study in the Bronx where, for the past four years, they have been studying 4,000 adult participants in the HCHS/SOL.

On July 5, Einstein’s Bronx field center for the HSCHS/SOL enrolled its 100th child in SOL-Youth, with an overall goal of recruiting 400 children from among the offspring of its adult participants. Participants in SOL-Youth each undergo a three-hour clinical examination and seven days of physical activity monitoring. During the clinical examination, the clinic staff collects anthropometric, blood pressure, and blood lipid data from the participants. The youngsters also complete an aerobic fitness step test and questionnaires that help the researchers in assessing acculturation, pubertal development, psychological function, physical activity, diet, and family meal patterns. In addition, the children’s parents or legal guardians complete questionnaires on their children's medical histories and their own parenting strategies for promoting a healthy home environment.