Disparities in the Use of Annual Heart Health Screenings Among Latino, Black, and Asian Immigrants: Evidence from the 2011 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Immigrants are disproportionately affected by cardiovascular disease burden. Heart health screenings, including blood pressure, fasting blood glucose (FBG), and blood cholesterol screenings, can help identify cardiovascular disease risk. Evidence on heart health screenings among diverse immigrant groups is still limited. This study examined the disparities in heart health screenings among the immigrant population compared with US-born White adults. METHODS AND RESULTS: A cross-sectional design was used to analyze data from the 2011 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey. Generalized linear models with Poisson distribution were applied to compare the prevalence of annual blood pressure, fasting blood glucose, and blood cholesterol screenings among Latino, Black, and Asian immigrants and US-born White adults. The analysis included 145 149 adults (83.60% US-born White adults, 9.55% Latino immigrants, 1.89% Black immigrants, and 4.96% Asian immigrants), with a mean age of 50 years and 53.62% women. Latino (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.92 [95% CI, 0.91-0.93]) and Asian (aOR, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.92-0.94]) immigrants were less likely to have blood pressure screening than US-born White adults. Latino (aOR, 1.22 [95% CI, 1.19-1.25]), Black (aOR, 1.15 [95% CI, 1.09-1.21]), and Asian (aOR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.08-1.15]) immigrants were more likely to have fasting blood glucose screening, and Latino (aOR, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.09-1.13]), Black or (aOR, 1.12 [95% CI, 1.09-1.16]), and Asian (aOR, 1.05 [95% CI, 1.04-1.07]) immigrants were more likely to have blood cholesterol screening than US-born White adults. CONCLUSIONS: Latino and Asian immigrants have lower odds of annual blood pressure screenings than US-born White adults. More studies exploring facilitators and barriers to the accessibility and use of heart health screenings are needed.