• David V. Espino, M.D.
  University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

• Ronald Angel, Ph.D.
  University of Texas at Austin

The National Institute on Aging funded Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (Hispanic EPESE) is modeled after the design of the Established Populations For Epidemiologic Studies Of The Elderly, 1981-1993: [East Boston, Massachusetts, Iowa And Washington Counties, Iowa, New Haven, Connecticut, And North Central North Carolina] and Established Populations For Epidemiologic Studies Of The Elderly, 1996-1997: Piedmont Health Survey Of The Elderly, Fourth In-Person Survey [Durham, Warren, Vance, Granville, And Franklin Counties, North Carolina] The Hispanic EPESE originally collected baseline data beginning in September 1993 through June 1994 on a representative sample of community-dwelling Mexican-American elderly, aged 65 years and older, residing in the five southwestern states of Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. The primary purpose of the study is to provide estimates of the prevalence of key physical health conditions, mental health conditions, and functional impairments in older Mexican Americans and to compare these estimates with those for other populations. The Hispanic EPESE has also attempted to determine whether certain risk factors for mortality and morbidity operate differently in Mexican American elders than in non-Hispanic White Americans, African Americans, and other major ethnic groups.  The Hispanic EPESE is currently completing its fourth wave of in-home evaluations.