Hypertension, diabetes and poverty among Latinx immigrants in New York City: implications for COVID-19

Purpose: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has affected Latinx immigrant neighborhoods in New York City (NYC) disproportionately. Poverty, hypertension and diabetes have been associated with adverse COIVD-19 outcomes. This study aims to assess the prevalence of these COVID-19 vulnerabilities among Latinx immigrants in NYC. Design/methodology/approach: Data were obtained from the 2018 New York City Community Health Survey. The relation between Latinx immigrant status and study outcomes was assessed in univariate and multivariable regression models. Findings: Latinx immigrants were 1.3 times (95% confidence interval: 1.2–1.5) more likely to have hypertension and 2.5 times (95% confidence interval: 1.9–3.2) to have diabetes, compared to the US-born Whites after adjusting for age. They were 46.5 times (95% confidence interval: 24.3–88.8) more likely to live in a neighborhood with high poverty, eight times more likely (95% confidence interval: 5.5–11.6) not to have had enough food in the previous six months and 1.4 times more likely (95% confidence interval: 1.2–1.6) to lack health insurance coverage, compared to the US-born Whites. Practical implications: These findings highlight the greater vulnerabilities of Latinx immigrants in NYC to COVID-19 in the year prior to the pandemic. Poverty, food insecurity, hostile immigration policies and lack of access to health care exacerbate health disparities among Latinx immigrants in NYC. Originality/value: This study provides a public health perspective for understanding the association of health disparities and socioeconomic conditions of Latinx immigrants in NYC.