Epidemiology of Urologic Disorders in Minority Men

泌尿系统疾病，包括勃起功能障碍、良性前列腺增生症、前列腺癌和性腺功能低下症，非常普遍，对美国老龄化男性人口的健康、医疗保健支出和生活质量有巨大影响。令人惊讶的是，人们对这些疾病的基本流行病学知之甚少，特别是在这些疾病可能特别流行的少数群体中。几个专业协会和NIH敦促对少数族裔男性的泌尿系统疾病的研究给予最高优先考虑。1993年NIH共识会议对勃起功能障碍提出了类似的建议。同样，还研究了保健服务的获取和利用在特定条件下的作用。我们的目的是在马萨诸塞州男性老龄化研究人员的现场经验的基础上，进行一项基于人群的横断面随机抽样调查，以检查少数族裔男性泌尿系统疾病的流行病学。我们将评估和比较西班牙裔、黑人(非西班牙裔)和白人(非西班牙裔)男性的特定年龄段泌尿系统疾病的患病率。我们将衡量生物生理因素、健康状况、药物和共病、生活方式和行为在每个少数民族群体中的相对贡献，以及对三个群体之间的差异的贡献。此外，还将探讨医疗服务的获取、利用行为和生活质量维度。我们的随机样本将包括总共3000名年龄在40-79岁之间的男性，他们分别来自上述三个种族/民族，居住在马萨诸塞州波士顿大都市地区。我们将在双语采访者-抽血师进行的家庭访谈中收集血液样本和全面的健康信息。为了为将来可能进行的单独资助的前瞻性研究做准备，我们将通过定期的主要接触积极保持样本。这种设计代表了一种经济高效的方法，可以在一次现场工作中收集关于四种鲜为人知的医疗状况的详细信息。

Urologic disorders, including erectile dysfunction, benign prostatic hyperplasia, prostatis, and hypogonadism, are highly prevalent and have enormous impact on the health, medical-care expenditures, and quality of life of the aging U.S. male population. Surprisingly little is known about the basic epidemiology of these conditions, particularly in minority populations, where they may be especially prevalent. Several professional societies and the NIH have urged that research on urologic disorders in minority men be given highest priority. Similar recommendations regarding erectile dysfunction were made by a 1993 NIH Consensus Conference. The role of health-care access and utilization in relation to the specific conditions is likewise studied. We purpose to conduct a cross-sectional, population-based random- sample survey, building on the field experience of investigators from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, to examine the epidemiology of urologic disorders in minority men. We will estimate and compare the age-specific prevalence of urologic conditions in Hispanic, black (non- Hispanic), and white (non-Hispanic) men. We will measure the relative contribution of biophysiologic factors, health status, medications and co- morbidities, lifestyle and behavioral within each minority group and to variation among the three groups. Medical care access, utilization behavior, and quality of life dimensions will also be explored. Our random sample will include a total of 3000 men aged 40-79 year, 1000 from each of the three above mentioned racial/ethnic groups living in the Boston, MA metropolitan area. We will collect blood samples and comprehensive battery of health information in an in-home interview conducted by bilingual interviewer-phlebotomists. To prepare for the possibility of a future, separately funded prospective study we will actively maintain the sample through regular main contact. This design represents a cost-efficient approach to gathering detailed information on four poorly understood medical conditions in a single wave of field effort.