This study investigates the awareness and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) among Hispanic healthcare-related professionals, focusing on integrating AI in healthcare. The study participants were recruited from an asynchronous course offered twice within a year at the University of Puerto Rico Medical Science Campus, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Applied to Health Disparities Research”, which aimed to bridge the gaps in AI knowledge among participants. The participants were divided into Experimental (n = 32; data-illiterate) and Control (n= 18; data-literate) groups, and pre-test and post-test surveys were administered to assess knowledge and attitudes toward AI. Descriptive statistics, power analysis, and the Mann–Whitney U test were employed to determine the influence of the course on participants’ comprehension and perspectives regarding AI. Results indicate significant improvements in knowledge and attitudes among participants, emphasizing the effectiveness of the course in enhancing understanding and fostering positive attitudes toward AI. Findings also reveal limited practical exposure to AI applications, highlighting the need for improved integration into education. This research highlights the significance of educating healthcare professionals about AI to enable its advantageous incorporation into healthcare procedures. The study provides valuable perspectives from a broad spectrum of healthcare workers, serving as a basis for future investigations and educational endeavors aimed at AI implementation in healthcare.

Extreme heat poses growing health risks in tropical regions, yet public perception of this threat remains understudied in the Caribbean. This study examines how residents in Puerto Rico perceived heat-related health risks and how these perceptions relate to vulnerability and protective behaviors during the extreme heat events of the summer of 2020. We conducted a cross-sectional telephone survey of 500 adults across metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas of Puerto Rico, using stratified probability sampling. The questionnaire assessed heat risk perception, sociodemographic characteristics, health status, prior heat exposure, and heat-related behaviors. While most participants expressed concern about climate change and high temperatures, fewer than half perceived heat as a high level of personal health risk. Higher levels of risk perception were significantly associated with being male, aged 50–64, unemployed, and in fair health, having multiple chronic conditions, and prior experience with heat-related symptoms. Those with symptoms were nearly five times more likely to report high levels of risk perception (OR = 4.94, 95% CI: 2.93–8.34). In contrast, older adults (65+), despite their higher level of vulnerability, reported lower levels of risk perception and fewer symptoms. Nighttime heat exposure was widespread and strongly associated with heat-related symptoms. Common coping strategies included the use of fans and air conditioning, though economic constraints and infrastructure instability limited access. The findings highlight the disparity between actual and perceived vulnerability, particularly among older adults. Public health strategies should focus on risk communication tailored to vulnerable groups and address barriers to heat adaptation. Strengthening heat resilience in Puerto Rico requires improved infrastructure, equitable access to cooling, and targeted outreach.

Residents of Puerto Rico face a high burden of food insecurity (FI), which has been associated with insomnia symptoms (IS). However, this association remains understudied in Puerto Rican young adults, a vulnerable group experiencing an elevated prevalence of FI and poor sleep. We evaluated the association between FI and IS and the mediating role of psychological distress symptoms among young adults in Puerto Rico. Data are derived from the PR-OUTLOOK cohort (2020–2023) of adults aged 18–29 y. We assessed FI with the six-item USDA Household Food Security Scale and IS with the 5-item Women’s Health Initiative Insomnia Rating Scale. Psychological distress symptoms included depressive symptoms (CES-D-10), anxiety (STAI-10), and perceived stress (PSS-4). Poisson’s regression models estimated prevalence ratios (PRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The Karlson–Holm–Breen method estimated the mediation percentage of each psychological distress symptom on the association between FI and IS. Notably, 24.8% of participants experienced FI, and 30.4% reported elevated IS. FI was associated with IS (PR = 1.41, 95% CI = 1.24, 1.60), an association partially mediated by depressive (31.6%), perceived stress (17.6%), and anxiety symptoms (17.2%), accounting for 35.8% of the mediation percentage. Future research should confirm these findings using objective assessments of sleep and psychosocial stress.

Limited research exists regarding the association between smoking and anal warts. In this study, we evaluated this association among a clinic-based Hispanic population in Puerto Rico. Cross-sectional study among eligible patients seen at the Anal Neoplasia Clinic of the University of Puerto Rico Comprehensive Cancer Center (2016–2023) (n = 920). Sociodemographic and clinical variables were collected from medical records. Patients underwent a high-resolution anoscopy (HRA) during the clinical visit; physicians assessed anal condylomas on HRA. Poisson regression models with robust standard errors were used to evaluate the association between smoking and anal warts. Demographic and clinical factors were also assessed. The mean age of participants was 45.8 ± 13.1 years, 66.4 % were men, and 21.6 % were current smokers. While 10.8 % self-reported a history of anogenital condylomas, 18.9 % had anal condylomas on clinical evaluation. A higher prevalence of anal condylomas was observed among current smokers (PR = 1.28, 95 % CI: 0.94–1.75) in comparison to non-smokers in adjusted analysis, but this was not statistically significant. However, a higher prevalence of anal condylomas was observed among younger individuals (PR = 0.96, 95 % CI: 0.96–0.98) and individuals with anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) as compared to those with benign histology (PR = 1.74. 95 % CI: 1.09–2.77). Although current smoking seemed to be positively associated with anal condylomas in this high-risk Hispanic population, this finding was not statistically significant as the power to detect an association was limited. However, younger age and HSIL diagnosis were associated with a higher prevalence of anal condylomas.

Background and Aims: The limited data on ethnic minorities with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a growing concern, given its increasing incidence in Hispanics in the United States and Latin America. Our aim was to describe a large cohort of Hispanics with IBD studied over two decades. Methods: The University of Puerto Rico IBD Registry has been recruiting patients since 1995. We describe a cohort of Hispanic patients recruited from 1995 through 2020, compared by time period (1995–2009 vs. 2010–2020) and diagnosis. The variables included sex, age, age at the onset of symptoms, IBD diagnosis, disease extent, family history of IBD, smoking history, extraintestinal manifestations, medications, and history of surgery for IBD. Descriptive statistics included frequencies, medians, means, and standard deviations. Results: We included 1365 Hispanic patients; 845 (62%) had Crohn's disease (CD), 520 (38%) had ulcerative colitis, and 710 (52%) were male. Compared with the 1995–2009 cohort, the proportion of CD diagnoses increased significantly in 2010–2020 (53.7%–68.1%; p < 0.001). Use of anti‐tumor necrosis factor (anti‐TNF) agents rose markedly from 10.2% to 58.4% and immunomodulators from 18.2% to 32.1% (both p < 0.001), while aminosalycylates and corticosteroids declined ( p < 0.001). Corticosteroids and antibiotics use remained stable with no significant change. Overall extraintestinal manifestation decreased from 36.3% to 25.5% ( p < 0.001) and family history of IBD increased in both diagnostic groups. IBD‐related surgery rate remained stable. For CD cases, the disease extent changed significantly between the two time cohorts, with most cases having ileocolonic (38.3% vs. 46.9%) or ileal (36.7% vs. 33.9%) inflammation. Perianal disease decreased from 26.7% to 16.8%. CD disease behavior showed significant change, 62.4% of CD cases had a penetrating disease (83.0% vs. 52.1%), 24.8% stricturing (13.8% vs. 30.3%), and 12.8% non‐stricturing/non‐penetrating (3.2% vs. 17.6%). UC disease extent (480/528) showed no significant difference with the majority of cases having pancolitis (51.6% vs. 53.0) or left‐sided colitis (21.0% vs. 21.4) in both time cohorts ( p = 0.481). Conclusions: Differences over time may reflect changes in disease phenotypes, environmental influences, the impact of physician awareness and healthcare access, and/or new management guidelines and therapies. Temporal trends should be interpreted cautiously in light of Puerto Rico's aging population and substantial out‐migration. The increase in IBD in Hispanics in the US and Latin America warrants further studies to better characterize this population, explore outcomes, and define ethnic differences and disparities in this cohort.