Association of Acculturation and Hispanic/Latino Background with Endogenous Sex and Thyroid-Related Hormones Among Middle-Aged and Older Hispanic/Latino Adults: the HCHS/SOL Study

Chibuzor Abasilim; Victoria Persky; Robert M Sargis; Maria Argos; Martha L Daviglus; Sally Freels; Konstantina Tsintsifas; Tessa Day; Jianwen Cai; Carmen R Isasi; Brandilyn A Peters; Gregory A Talavera; Bharat Thyagarajan; Mary E Turyk

doi:10.1007/s40615-023-01762-8

Association of Acculturation and Hispanic/Latino Background with Endogenous Sex and Thyroid-Related Hormones Among Middle-Aged and Older Hispanic/Latino Adults: the HCHS/SOL Study

J Racial Ethn Health Disparities. 2023 Aug 24. doi: 10.1007/s40615-023-01762-8. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. cabasi2@uic.edu.
² Division of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA. cabasi2@uic.edu.
³ Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁴ Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago and Medical Service, Jesse Brown VA Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁵ Institute for Minority Health Research, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁶ Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
⁷ Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
⁹ Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.

PMID: 37620727
DOI: 10.1007/s40615-023-01762-8

Abstract

Background: Hormones are linked to cardiometabolic diseases and may be impacted by acculturation though multiple mechanisms. We evaluated associations of Hispanic/Latino background and acculturation with levels of sex- and thyroid-related hormones and the potential mediating effect of adiposity, lifestyle factors, and sleep apnea syndrome on these associations.

Methods: We studied 1789 adults, aged 45-74, from a sub-cohort of the Hispanic Community Health Survey/Study of Latinos. Peri/pre-menopausal women and individuals on medications related to hormones were excluded. Our study assessed eleven sex- and thyroid-related hormones, Hispanic/Latino background, and five acculturation measures. Associations were assessed using multivariable linear and logistic regression adjusted for survey design and confounding variables. We explored potential mediation using a path analysis.

Results: In postmenopausal women, acculturation score-MESA was associated with decreased thyroid-stimulating hormone (β = - 0.13;95%CI = - 0.22, - 0.03) while age at immigration greater than the median (vs US-born) was associated with decreased (β = - 14.6; 95%CI = - 28.2, - 0.99) triiodothyronine (T3). In men, language acculturation and acculturation score-MESA were associated with increased estradiol and sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) while age at immigration greater and lesser than the median (vs US-born) was associated with decreased SHBG. Hispanic/Latino background (Mexicans as reference) were selectively associated with sex- and thyroid-related hormone levels in both sexes. Current smoking and sleep apnea syndrome partially mediated the association of Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage (vs Mexican) with T3 levels in men and postmenopausal women, respectively.

Conclusion: Selected acculturation measures were associated with thyroid-related hormones in postmenopausal women and sex-related hormones in men. Understanding the mechanisms involved in the relationship of acculturation and Hispanic/Latino background with hormones warrants additional investigation.

Keywords: Acculturation; Hispanic/Latino; Mediation; Sex hormones; Structural equation model; Thyroid hormones.