Sample Design and Cohort Selection in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Received 7 January 2010; accepted 15 May 2010.

Purpose

The Hispanic Community Health Study (HCHS)/Study of Latinos (SOL) is a multicenter, community-based cohort study of Hispanic/Latino adults in the United States. A diverse participant sample is required that is both representative of the target population and likely to remain engaged throughout follow-up. The choice of sample design, its rationale, and benefits and challenges of design decisions are described in this study.

Methods

The study design calls for recruitment and follow-up of a cohort of 16,000 Hispanics/Latinos 18–74 years of age, with 62.5% (10,000) over 44 years of age and adequate subgroup sample sizes to support inference by Hispanic/Latino background. Participants are recruited in community areas surrounding four field centers in the Bronx, Chicago, Miami, and San Diego. A two-stage area probability sample of households is selected with stratification and oversampling incorporated at each stage to provide a broadly diverse sample, offer efficiencies in field operations, and ensure that the target age distribution is obtained.

Conclusions

Embedding probability sampling within this traditional, multisite cohort study design enables competing research objectives to be met. However, the use of probability sampling requires developing solutions to some unique challenges in both sample selection and recruitment, as described here.

Key Words: Probability Sampling, Sampling Diverse Populations, Hispanic/Latino Health

Selected Abbreviations and Acronyms: HCHS, Hispanic Community Health Study, SOL, Study of Latinos, NHLBI, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, MEPS, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, SES, socio-economic status, BG, block group, PSU, primary sampling unit, DSF, delivery sequence file

a Collaborative Studies Coordinating Center, Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

b Survey Research Unit, Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

c Division of Cardiovascular Sciences, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

d Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY

e Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL

f Midwest Latino Health Research, Training and Policy Center, Jane Addams College of Social Work, University of Illinois at Chicago

g Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Sylvester Comprehensive Center, University of Miami, FL

h Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Miami, FL

i Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla

j Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, CA

Address correspondence to: Lisa M. LaVange, PhD, CSCC, Department of Biostatistics, UNC-CH, 137 E. Franklin St., Suite 203, Chapel Hill, NC 27514. Tel.: +1-919-966-8333; Fax: +1-919-962-3265.

PII: S1047-2797(10)00117-1

doi:10.1016/j.annepidem.2010.05.006

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