The Puerto Rico Young Adults' Stress, Contextual, Behavioral, and Cardiometabolic Risk (PR-OUTLOOK) Study: design and...

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Health Research
• Public Health
• Psychosocial Epidemiology

Background:

• Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors often emerge in young adulthood.
• Puerto Rican young adults are an understudied population regarding cardiovascular health (CVH).
• Understanding the interplay of stress, resilience, and CVH is crucial for early intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate overall and component-specific CVH and CVD risk factors in young Puerto Rican adults (aged 18-29).
• To examine the relationships between individual, social, and neighborhood stress and resilience factors and CVH/CVD risk factors.
• To establish a biorepository for future longitudinal research on stress, resilience, and CVH/CVD risk.

Main Methods:

• Standardized measurements of CVH and CVD risk factors.
• Collection of demographic, behavioral, psychosocial, neighborhood, and contextual variables.
• Establishment of a biorepository including blood, saliva, urine, stool, and hair samples.
• Alignment of assessment methods with NHLBI-funded studies for data comparability.

Main Results:

• Data collection is ongoing for a target sample of 3000 young Puerto Rican adults.
• Standardized measurements and biorepository establishment are in progress.
• The study is designed to provide foundational data for future research.

Conclusions:

• The PR-OUTLOOK study will provide critical data on CVH and CVD risk factors in young Puerto Ricans.
• Findings will elucidate the impact of stress and resilience on cardiovascular health in this demographic.
• The study resources will facilitate longitudinal research and advance scientific understanding in a high-risk population.