The Hispanic Community Children's Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth): design, objectives, and procedures

Abstract

Purpose: This article describes the design and methodology of the Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth) study, a multicenter study of Hispanic/Latino children living in the United States.

Methods: Participants are children aged 8-16 years whose parents/legal guardians participated in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos, a large community-based cohort study of Hispanic/Latino adults living in the United States.

Results: Between 2012 and 2014, 1600 children recruited from four field centers (Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego) will undergo a 3.5-hour examination to collect biospecimens, obtain anthropometric measures, blood pressure, fitness level, dietary intake, and physical activity. Psychosocial and environmental characteristics are assessed by questionnaire. Primary study aims are to examine associations of youth's lifestyle behaviors and cardiometabolic risk factors with (1) youth's acculturation and parent-child differences in acculturation; (2) parenting strategies, family behaviors, and parental health behaviors; and (3) youth's psychosocial functioning.

Conclusions: SOL Youth will determine the prevalence and distribution of obesity-promoting lifestyle behaviors, cardiometabolic risk profiles, and novel biomarkers associated with obesity and insulin resistance. This article describes the study methodology and considers advantages and limitations of embedding a cohort of children within a well-characterized cohort of adults.

Keywords: Cardiometabolic risk; Children; Obesity.