Leveraging existing cohort studies of Mexican women to better understand Hispanic health and cancer risk

Background: Hispanics have been historically underrepresented in epidemiologic cancer research. Existing cohort studies focused on recruiting Hispanic participants have been relatively small, making studying cancer outcomes challenging. Therefore, we aimed to compare the distribution of cancer risk factors among Hispanic women of Mexican heritage (HWMH) participating in existing cohorts to explore the possibility of future data pooling efforts. Methods: We used baseline data of HWMH from three US-based studies, the Mexican American Cohort (MAC; n = 19,797; 2001–2017), the Multiethnic Cohort (MEC; n = 18,007; 1993–1996), and the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL; n = 4,022; 2008–2011), and one study from Mexico, the Mexican Teachers’ Cohort (MTC; n = 115,275; 2006–2008). Results: Participants in MEC (59.5y) were older on average than MAC (40.9y), HCHS/SOL (45.5y), and MTC (42.6y) at enrollment. Most MAC (77.6%) and HCHS/SOL (85.4%) participants spoke Spanish as their primary language. Age at menarche (12.5–13.1y), age at menopause (45.8–47.9y), and smoking prevalence (~ 10%) was similar across studies. Parity was higher in MAC (3.8) and MEC (4.1) compared to HCHS/SOL (3.2) and MTC (2.5). Ever use of oral contraceptives was more frequent in HCHS/SOL (63.5%) compared to MTC (45.6%), MAC (37.9%), and MEC (35.2%). Obesity, diabetes, and hypertension were more common in the US cohorts. Conclusion: This comparative study demonstrates the ability to harmonize data and provide information for future pooling projects across cohorts to evaluate cancer outcomes. Similarities and differences in characteristics across cohorts can be leveraged to better understand health disparities in HWMH.