A comprehensive plan that aims to promote access to broadband, universal adoption and use in all segments of society, as well as an increase in utilization in key strategic sectors, such as education, health and the provision of government services. It is essential for maintaining a vibrant and competitive economy and society.

It contains information on the socio-demographic profile of the island, the risk factors associated with chronic diseases, as well as data on morbidity and mortality.

It presents several profiles in different areas. It contains sociodemographic, economic, health information, access to health care and mental health services. Keywords: population, age, sex, grandparents, income, poverty, household, employment, education, life events, births, deaths, infant mortality, dengue fever, STD, HIV/AIDS, obesity, tobacco, alcohol, My Health, hospital, drugs, controlled substances

It presents a description of the Ryan White Part B program, an epidemiological profile of people with unmet needs, and the comprehensive plan for the coming years.

Description: Study of the satisfaction of tourists and business people visiting Puerto Rico.

Description: Study of the satisfaction of tourists and business people visiting Puerto Rico.

It presents and compares public education data from Puerto Rico and the United States to measure its quality, using the “Education Dashboard” methodology of the U.S. Department of Education.

An assessment document for forest resources that are within the territorial limits of Puerto Rico, as required by the Federal Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008, also known as the “Farm Bill”. The document contains a description of the condition of forest resources, identifies benefits and services related to forests, identifies threats, issues and trends of concern to these resources, and outlines the highest priority lands.

It has a prevalence of alcohol abuse/dependence, illicit and controlled substances, and treatment needs.

The Economic and Social Planning Program Evaluation Project recommended the development of a Tourism Satellite Account (CST) for Puerto Rico. This report presents an initial completed version of the CST for 2002. The satellite account shows in detail the production and supply of goods and services available to tourists, purchases made by tourists, and estimates of added value and employment related to tourism. These accounts are directly related to other economic accounts in Puerto Rico, mainly to input-output accounts, income accounts by industry, and gross national product accounts.

Compare economic trends between Puerto Rico and the United States following the end of Section 936 federal tax credits. It reports on changes in the activities and tax status of corporations that claim tax credits.

Evaluation document prepared by the Puerto Rico Climate Change Council (PRCCC) regarding the vulnerability of Puerto Rico's coastal communities, infrastructure and biodiversity to the effects of current and projected climate change. In addition, the document presents some strategies for adaptation to such climate changes. The statistical information describing climate change and its effects is presented by topics: chemical and geophysical; ecology and biodiversity; and communication on climate change and coastal danger.

Update to the 2001 Quaterly National Accounts Manual. It provides conceptual and practical guidelines for collecting quarterly statistics on national accounts.

Its purpose is to assist statistical agencies and central banks in the collection and dissemination of quarterly international investment position (IIP) data.

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the current situation of Dominicans residing in Puerto Rico and its changes over time. Using information provided by the Puerto Rico Community Survey and the United States Census for Puerto Rico, the findings of the study are presented below.

Report that draws up a profile of the general characteristics of the public servant found responsible for committing acts that violated the Organic Law of the Puerto Rico Government Ethics Office (Law 1-2012 as amended), in the period 2012-2020. This seeks to review the structure of administrative processes, the quality of supervision and the periodic evaluation of controls. This includes variables such as gender, years of service, supervision and most affected positions, among others. The data are grouped or presented in specific percentages.

It presents statistics on women's participation in Puerto Rican political life.

Proposal for the restructuring of the Executive Branch based on: 1) decentralization and delegation of powers, 2) management of public policies and 3) accountability. It includes a comparative analysis of the number of public employees in PR.

The Working Group on the Status of Puerto Rico (Working Group) was created by President Clinton in 2000. The sole objective of the Working Group at that time was to examine proposals for Puerto Rico's future status and a process by which Puerto Ricans could choose a status option. President Bush continued the Working Group's exclusive focus on the issue of political status. The Bush Administration Working Group issued reports in 2005 and 2007. On October 30, 2009, President Obama signed Executive Order 13517, which instructed the Working Group to maintain its focus on the issue of status, but added to its responsibilities the request for advice and recommendations on policies that promote job creation, education, health care, clean energy and economic development on the Island. The current Working Group was convened in December 2009 with members from all Cabinet agencies. He organized two public hearings in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in Washington, D.C., to hear directly from a wide variety of voices on issues of status and economic development.

It describes current methods for ensuring confidentiality even when microdata and other tabulations are disclosed. It describes the current practices of the main federal statistical agencies, provides recommendations for data management and references.

Analysis of the factors that have influenced the competitiveness of Puerto Rico's economy. It includes recommendations to promote the competitiveness of the economy over time.

It presents the prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics of people with diabetes.

It presents population data, as well as statistics on complications related to this disease.

It presents population data, statistics on complications related to this disease and a series of articles related to the topic.

It presents the result of a technical assistance mission by the UNESCO Institute of Statistics, in relation to education statistics. This includes a work plan to ensure that Puerto Rico's education statistics meet global standards of quality and comparability, so that they can be incorporated into UNESCO databases.

It describes the methodology used to include original artistic products (plastic and visual arts, studio products, publishers, and others) as part of U.S. investment and not simply as current expenses. Estimates of the dollar value of these assets are presented.

The Puerto Rico Planning Board and the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute worked during the second half of 2015 to establish the Plan for the Restructuring and Methodological Modernization of the Puerto Rico National Accounts System, which was adopted by the Planning Board on February 5, 2016 through Resolution JP-PPES-2016-001.

Methodological review of the survey used to measure employment and unemployment in Puerto Rico.

Methodological review of the household sample of the survey used to measure employment and unemployment in Puerto Rico.

It contains programs that influence and help to generate social housing (new construction, rent, rehabilitation, subsidy, etc.). It includes, as variables, municipalities, programs, number of units, costs and dates.

It describes and analyzes the health conditions of the countries of the Region of America. It provides notes highlighting health challenges and essential actions.

A study is being carried out on sedimentation in the Lake Loiza reserve to determine its storage capacity. It presents a chronological analysis of water retention capacity and the effect of dredging on this capacity.

It presents statistics related to traffic accidents obtained from various sources, existing programs and strategies to reduce road accidents.

The Pregnancy Risk Assessment and Monitoring System (PRAMS) began in Puerto Rico (PR) in 2016, through the Department of Health's Mothers, Children and Adolescents Division (DMNA), with the purpose of studying maternal and child health needs. Previously, the DMNA conducted the PR Maternal and Child Health Study (ESMIPR), which provided us with very valuable information. However, the data were not representative of all live births in the study period.

Analysis to compare the Commonwealth's performance in grant programs participation, the amount of funds awarded, with that of the 50 states and recommendations to identify and seize opportunities within the grants portfolio.

The information presented corresponds to 4 phases of the epidemiological surveillance system for infant mortality registered in 2005. The first 5 main causes and the main causes are presented for each death certificate box to describe conditions by geographical area, hospital of occurrence and demographic indicators.

These indicators provide the total production and sales of cement in Puerto Rico. These totals are measured in 94 lb bags.

The U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol collect data for all commercial shipments of goods between the United States (including Puerto Rico) and foreign countries. In addition, data is collected for all commercial shipments of goods between Puerto Rico and the United States (including to the U.S. Virgin Islands). The U.S. Census Bureau uses this information for statistical purposes. For these purposes, it prepares detailed statistics on the foreign trade of goods in the economy of the United States and Puerto Rico, which it puts up for sale. The Government of Puerto Rico, through the Institute of Statistics, obtains this information, and based on this information it prepares a file with all the data on Puerto Rico's exports, and another with the imports. This is made available to the public free of charge, through a variety of means, including summary tables and a web interface to tabulate data as required by the user. Finally, through its open data platform, the Institute makes these databases available to all users. In some cases, the data has been available since 2002, and a project is currently under way to extend the database to 1992. For previous posts, visit: Selected Foreign Trade Statistics of the Planning Board.

Explanatory note: Every year, the census reviews data for the last 3 years and is published in the month of July. For example, in July 2022, revised data for 2019, 2020 and 2021 were released.

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It includes statistics on the number of suspected and confirmed cases of the dengue virus, chikungunya and Zika. It includes information on confirmed cases by municipality.

The Puerto Rico Violent Death Notification System (PRVDRS) is an epidemiological surveillance system designed to obtain a complete census of violent deaths in Puerto Rico. The PRVDRS, affiliated with the Puerto Rico Statistics Institute, began participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) in September 2016. The PRVDRS collects, analyzes and publishes information on all violent deaths in Puerto Rico. Violent deaths occur by suicide or homicide, deaths from injuries with unintentional firearms, by legal intervention (except the death penalty), and deaths with undetermined intent. The documentation of violent deaths is carried out through a collaboration agreement with the Institute of Forensic Sciences, Puerto Rico Police Negotiate and the Demographic Registry (Vital Statistics) of the Department of Health.

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Preliminary Data 2025

Editors:

Diego E. Zavala Zegarra, MSc, PhD

Mariluz Bezares Salinas, B.S., MS

Mario O. Font Martin, MP, MS, PPL

Cristian Perdomo, MSC

Digital link

Dates:

Thursday, February 26, 2026

Documents:

• PDF Newsletter Magazine

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2019 Annual Report

Editors:

Diego E. Zavala Zegarra, MSc, PhD

Mariluz Bezares Salinas, B.S., MS

Glorian Carrasquillo Sanchez, BA, MPH

Tania M. Martinez Sanchez, BS, MPH

Dates:

Thursday, November 03, 2022

Documents:

• ‍Press Release

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2018 Annual Report

Editors:

Diego E. Zavala Zegarra, MSc, PhD

Mariluz Bezares Salinas, B.S., MS

Glorian Carrasquillo Sanchez, BA, MPH

Tania M. Martinez Sanchez, BS, MPH

Dates:

Wednesday, December 01, 2021

Docs

• Seasonality of Homicides and Suicides in Puerto Rico 2017
• Suicides in Puerto Rico 2017-2018 (Picture)
• Toxicology 2017

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2017 Annual Report

Editors:

Diego E. Zavala Zegarra, MSc, PhD

Myribel Santiago, MPH

Mariluz Bezares Salinas, B.S., MS

Glorian Carrasquillo Sanchez, BA, MPH

Tania M. Martinez Sanchez, BS, MPH

Dates:

Monday, August 24, 2020

Docs

• FAQs
• Technical notes
• Official presentation

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ManpowerGroup Puerto Rico's latest Employment Expectations Survey reveals a Seasonally Adjusted Net Employment Trend of 12%, reflecting a decrease of 1 percentage point compared to the previous quarter and 21 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2024. In addition, 44% of companies in Puerto Rico report having achieved gender equality, an increase from 36% the previous year. The sectors with the highest demand for hiring include Manufacturing Technologies, Information, Transportation, Logistics, Automotive and Manufacturing.

Fifth edition of the Accuracy Standards Recommended for Hydrographic Surveys published in 1968. It provides a set of standards for carrying out hydrographic surveys, which collect data to be used in the compilation of nautical navigation charts.

Analysis of the economic impact of the application of cabotage laws to Puerto Rico under the Jones Act. In addition, it presents some alternative strategies that the United States could pursue to achieve some of the objectives of the cabotage laws.

This report summarizes data from the CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 34 states, four California counties, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2017. Results were reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, method of injury, type of location where the injury occurred, circumstances of the injury, and other selected characteristics.

This paper presents a study of needs for statistical fishing methodologies in Puerto Rico with the objective of strengthening their quality. The study also gives an account of the past efforts that have been made in Puerto Rico to collect data on fishing activity in the country.

They consist of 14 annexes where the following information is provided: analysis of statistical information, financial trends, state of affairs, distribution of deposits and loans, interest rates on deposits and loans, delinquency, loan origination, financial evaluation classification, financial indicators, total assets, number of partners and employees. Most of the statistics are presented in a consolidated and segregated form by asset group.

This index is composed of four variables: number of non-agricultural salaried jobs, amount of electricity consumption, cement sales (volume), and volume of gasoline that pays taxes (gasoline consumption). Note that all variables are quantities, not monetary. The component series of the index are adjusted for seasonality, and their respective growth rates are adjusted for volatility, before composing the index.

This monthly report features a commentary on the Economic Development Bank's Economic Activity Index (EDB-EAI), a coincident index for the economy of Puerto Rico. The EDB-EAI is a valuable tool that summarizes the behavior of four major monthly economic indicators: total non-farm payroll employment, cement sales, gasoline consumption, and electric power generation.

Review of the User's Handbook on Datum Transformations Involving WGS 84 published in 2003. It contains transformation constants and formulas that relate local or regional geodetic data to WGS-84 (World Geodetic System 1984).

A 3-phase study that analyzes the possibility of establishing a Tourism Satellite Account for Puerto Rico, which measures the impact of tourism on the economy.

Provides guides for the collection and presentation of data on travel time

First part of the study commissioned by the Puerto Rican Senate to describe the current status of the Puerto Rican public system (K-12). The methodology used is described and the findings are presented.

It presents the breakdown of the answers provided in this survey. Some of the issues are satisfaction with the behavior of various sectors of society, and factors or groups that are involved in the formation of values.

It presents the results of a study of substance disorders and treatment needs conducted during 2008.

It presents statistical data on the results of traffic safety performance measures.

Revised and updated document from research conducted by ATSDR on environmental data from Vieques. It contains information on environmental exposure through air, water, soil, seafood, and foods grown in the Vieques area. It also presents data on biomonitoring in human beings and data on health outcomes. In turn, it establishes conclusions, and presents recommendations for environmental and public health agencies as well as for scientific researchers.

The Five U.S. Territories. UU. —Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands UU. (USVI), American Samoa, CNMI and Guam—obtain loans through financial markets. Puerto Rico, in particular, has accumulated large amounts of debt and began defaulting on debt payments in 2015. In 2017, hurricanes Irma and Maria caused widespread damage and destruction in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. This put additional financial pressure on their already restricted economies. In June 2016, Congress approved and signed the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA). This law contains a provision for the GAO to review the public debt of each of the five territories every two years. The GAO issued the first report on public debt in the territories in October 2017, reporting on trends in public debt between fiscal years 2005 and 2015. In this report, for each territory of the United States. In the United States, the GAO updates (1) trends in public debt, its composition and driving factors; (2) trends in revenues and composition, and the general financial condition; and (3) what is known about the capacity to pay public debt. The GAO analyzed the single audit reports of the territories for fiscal years 2016 and 2017, as available; reviewed relevant documentation and analysis; and interviewed officials from territorial governments, federal agencies, credit rating agencies and experts in the field. Commenting on a draft of this report, the governments of Puerto Rico and Guam expressed concerns about some aspects of their debt analysis. The GAO maintains that its analysis is correct, as discussed in the report.

Article from Current Issues in Economics and Finance from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York about the economy of Puerto Rico and the statistical challenges faced by this country.

This report uses updated economic models to relate cognitive skills, as measured by PISA and other international instruments, to economic growth in those member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The results indicate that relatively small improvements in the skills of a country's workforce can have an enormous impact on the well-being of its communities.

Analysis of the economic impact of the Jones Act on commercial shipping in Alaska (which mainly requires the use of vessels built and registered in the United States).

It defines the most important indicators for the analysis of the telecommunications sector. Its objective is to contribute to the standardization of statistics to improve analysis and comparisons between telecommunications operators, between countries, and within them.

Update to the 1996 Special Data Dissemination Standard. It provides guidelines for countries that have or seek access to capital markets, to disseminate statistical data, so that those who participate in financial markets have the necessary information to evaluate the economic situation of each country.

Update to the 1996 Special Data Dissemination Standard. It provides guidelines for countries that have or seek access to capital markets, to disseminate statistical data, so that those who participate in financial markets have the necessary information to evaluate the economic situation of each country.

Article from Current Issues in Economics and Finance from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York about the economy of Puerto Rico and the statistical challenges faced by this country.

Description of the content of the mathematics tests of the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP, 2003 & 2005), in public schools in Puerto Rico. Keywords: Validation analysis, Title I federal funds, assessment in mathematics

It provides a series of indicators and an index that together contribute to the measurement of land use sustainability by municipality.

Short report with recommendations on the implementation of wide-ranging structural economic reforms for Puerto Rico in the context of recovery after natural disasters and COVID.

This report summarizes data from the CDC's National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) on violent deaths that occurred in 39 states, 88 counties, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico in 2018. Results were reported by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, method of injury, type of location where the injury occurred, circumstances of the injury, and other selected characteristics.

A critical review of Puerto Rico's historical economic studies, published since 1970, that seeks to identify the obstacles or limitations that hinder the island's economic progress and establish a plan for a faster economic and social transformation.

Results of the Deaf Community Needs Study: Survey of the general population

Profile of child abuse according to various sources

It summarizes the changes from month to month for the eight groups. It includes definitions of terms, methodology and statistical tables.

It presents retail gasoline sales prices, as reported by each gasoline wholesaler, in compliance with Price Regulation No. 45 and Order 2004-005 of the Department of Consumer Affairs. The prices are broken down by type of gasoline: regular, premium and diesel.

Weekly statistics are presented on the number of Unemployment Insurance claims received by the Department of Labor and Human Resources. In addition, it includes data on how many beneficiaries are still receiving these benefits, among many other data on the operation of Unemployment Insurance in Puerto Rico and the states of the United States. Unemployment Insurance claims occur when a beneficiary employee ceases to be employed and goes to the offices of the Department of Labor and Human Resources to receive the benefits they are entitled to under the Unemployment Insurance program. Claims are recorded in a database and are provided to the U.S. Department of Labor who produces this statistical report.

It contains the Puerto Rico Manufacturing - Purchasing Managers' Index (PRM-PMI) and its component indices: New Orders, Production, Employment, Supplier Deliveries, Inventories. In addition, it includes indices on customer Inventories, Prices paid for company inputs, the Reserve of uncompleted orders, and new Orders for export. These indices are derived from information collected electronically from the largest manufacturing companies in Puerto Rico. The estimate is based on a dissemination index methodology, similar to that used in other countries and other states of the United States for similar indices. This Survey is the result of a collaboration with the Puerto Rico Industrial Association.

It presents statistics on financial institutions in Puerto Rico, such as the total assets of the financial system, the state of position and of income and expenses by type of institution (Commercial Banks, Domestic Commercial Banks, Brokerage Firms, Leasing Companies, Mortgage Companies, Financing Companies, Investment Companies, Small Personal Loans Companies, Credit Unions, International Banking Institutions), the assets of brokerage firm clients, the crime of Loans in commercial banks, deposits in Individual Retirement Account (IRA) accounts, the origination of mortgage loans, and others.

Presenta el número de nacimientos y cierres de establecimientos en Puerto Rico por sector industrial. Además incluye la ganancia y pérdida de empleo por tamaño de empleador.

In the Caribbean, cancer accounts for one-fifth of all deaths and its incidence is increasing [1]. People diagnosed with cancer in this region face unique challenges in prevention and control efforts [2]. Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States (USA). In the Caribbean Sea, it has a history of environmental and social neglect and a disproportionate impact of extreme weather events driven by climate change [3]. It is home to nearly 3.2 million Hispanics/Latinos [4]. From 2000 to 2022, 320,076 cases of cancer were diagnosed: in men, the age-adjusted incidence rate increased from 348.3 to 377.6 per 100,000; in women, from 252.9 to 314.5 per 100,000 [5]. Although overall cancer mortality in Puerto Rico decreased from 2016 to 2020, its incidence has increased annually [6].

Among women, significant increases were observed in the incidence of breast cancer (Annual Percentage Change [APC] = 1.7%), body and uterus (APC = 4.6%), thyroid (APC = 9.0%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (APC = 2.1%), pancreas (APC = 3.1%), leukemia (APC = 2.7%) and ovary (APC = 0.8%). Among men, significant increases were seen in prostate (CPA = 1.7%), non-Hodgkin lymphoma (CPA = 1.8%), liver and bile ducts (CPA = 1.9%), kidney and renal pelvis (CPA = 4.3%), leukemia (CPA = 2.2%) and pancreas (CPA = 2.2%). Municipalities in the southern, northern and central regions of Puerto Rico have the highest cancer incidence rates [6].

Although cancer risk is influenced by multiple factors, including genetics, environment, medical history, and lifestyle [7], previous studies have highlighted a disproportionate burden of environmental pollution on black and Hispanic/Latino populations [8—12]. Therefore, identifying environmental risk factors in Puerto Rico is a public health priority, as they have been associated with genitourinary, digestive, gastrointestinal, gynecological, hematological/blood and breast cancers.

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Aedes aegypti is the primary urban vector for several important arboviruses, including dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika viruses. Traditional dengue virus (DENV) surveillance relies on passive reporting of human cases, which often underestimates trans mission due to asymptomatic or unreported infections. This study evaluated the utility of monitoring DENV in Ae. aegypti mosquitoes to improve detection of local dengue trans mission and inform vector control strategies during the 2024 dengue epidemic in Puerto Rico. Mosquito surveillance was conducted in 15 neighborhoods within the San Juan metropolitan area where confirmed dengue cases had been recently reported. Adult female Ae. aegypti were collected weekly using Autocidal Gravid Ovitraps (AGO traps) placed within a 200 m radius of index cases. Pools of 1—20 mosquitoes were tested for DENV RNA and serotype using RT-PCR. Surveillance continued for up to 91 days in study areas, depending on virus detection. A total of 29,354 female Ae. aegypti were collected, of which 29,211 females were pooled (1—20 specimens per pool) into 3878 pools and analyzed. DENV was detected in 49 pools across 11 neighborhoods, with serotypes DENV-1, DENV-2, and DENV-3 identified. Multiple serotypes were sometimes detected in mosquitoes from the same neighborhood. Minimum infection rates and vector indices were higher during the epidemic than in previous inter-epidemic periods, and mosquito densities exceeded thresh olds considered protective against outbreaks. Entomo-virological surveillance detected a greater variety and evenness of serotypes than passive human surveillance. These findings suggest that entomo-virological surveillance can complement passive case surveillance, providing a more comprehensive detection of DENV circulation. Integrating mosquito-based and human surveillance can improve outbreak detection, guide vector control, and aid in reducing dengue burden in affected communities.

Health professionals faced a challenge with the onset and rapid spread of COVID-19. Initial studies that evaluated the psychological impact of COVID-19 on the general population identified high levels of anxiety and sleep disorders. The main objective of this project was to analyze the psychological impact of COVID-19 on doctors in Puerto Rico. An anonymous and electronic cross-sectional study aimed at doctors in Puerto Rico was conducted between February and April 2021. The electronic survey included sociodemographic data and four self-assessment tools (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, Perceived Stress Scale-10, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and COVID-19 Organizational Support) to measure anxiety, perceived stress, sleep disturbances and organizational support during the pandemic. A total of 145 doctors completed the survey, with women predominating at 53.5%, and the majority practiced in the metropolitan area of San Juan (50.3%). 26.9% reported mild anxiety symptoms, while 33.8% had moderate to severe anxiety symptoms. Moderate to high perceived stress was detected in 69.9% of the participants, with women reporting significantly higher levels of anxiety (8.84 ± 5.99; p = 0.037) and stress (19.0 ± 6.94, p = 0.001). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index revealed that 67.9% of doctors had overall scores that corresponded to poor sleep quality. The evaluation of perceived organizational support reflected a high perception of work support (65.7%), but a low perception of personal support (43.4%) and risk support (30.3%). The correlation analysis showed a negative relationship for work and personal support, but a positive relationship for risk support, all of which were statistically significant. COVID-19 has left a lasting psychological imprint on health professionals in Puerto Rico, one year after the start of the pandemic. Our data support the importance of organizational support and its link to the development of anxiety. Therefore, it is essential to implement strategies to identify those who are at risk of suffering from psychological disorders and to provide effective support to medical professionals during health emergencies, ensuring their well-being and optimal care for patients.

Islands are especially vulnerable to extreme weather events and food insecurity, and face additional challenges due to their limited land areas and economies, their isolation, colonial legacies and high dependence on food imports. Local farmers play a crucial role in producing food for island communities such as Puerto Rico, which can guarantee food security when importing becomes difficult. However, in disaster settings, farmers themselves may be affected by food insecurity and unable to supply domestic markets. This study examines the food security of Puerto Rican farmers' homes after Hurricane Maria in 2017, from a socio-ecological perspective. Data from a survey applied to 405 farmers eight months after the hurricane hit were analyzed, together with biophysical data related to its impacts (winds, rains and landslides). Overall, 69% of farmers experienced at least one month of food insecurity after Maria, and 38% reported persistent insecurity (three months or more). A multinomial logistic regression model suggests that biophysical impacts, but especially social factors such as age and restricted access to external sources of support, are linked to persistent food insecurity. This indicates that the biophysical effects of the hurricane interact with existing infrastructure and social resources, affecting farmers' vulnerability and the food environment in different ways. Therefore, strengthening adaptive capacity in various areas can help farmers and vulnerable populations to better face disruptions caused by disasters and mitigate food insecurity.

The incidence of skin cancer has been increasing among Hispanics in the United States, who are often diagnosed with larger lesions and in more advanced stages of the disease. Adopting behaviors that reduce exposure to ultraviolet radiation can lower the risk of developing skin cancer. In this study, we describe skin cancer prevention behaviors and psychosocial variables in Hispanic participants recruited for a skin cancer prevention trial. Self-reported Hispanic participants were selected from eight primary care clinics in Tampa, Florida, and Ponce, Puerto Rico, who were part of a randomized controlled trial. Data were collected on demographics, sun-related behaviors, and psychosocial variables before providing intervention materials. To compare initial psychosocial behaviors and variables between groups defined by geographical location and language preference, multivariate regression models were used. Participants reported low levels of intentional outdoor tanning, as well as exposure to the sun on weekdays and weekends, and virtually zero levels of indoor tanning. However, only a minority frequently or always practiced sun protection behaviors, and approximately 30% had suffered sunburn in the last year. There were low levels of recent concern and distress about skin cancer, modest levels of risk perception and severity, and high levels of response efficacy and self-efficacy. When comparing groups by location and language preference, Tampa residents who prefer English (hereinafter referred to as Tampeños) had the highest proportion of sunburns (35.9%) and tended to show riskier behaviors, although they also adopted more protective behaviors than Spanish-speaking Tampeños or Puerto Ricans. Spanish-speaking Puerto Ricans expressed greater recent concern about skin cancer, greater comparative risk perception, and greater response efficiency compared to Anglophone or Spanish-speaking Tampeños. Tampeños with a Spanish linguistic preference exhibited the highest levels of familism and recent concern for skin cancer. Our results reflect previous findings about the low adoption of sun protection behaviors among Hispanics in the United States, which highlights the need for culturally appropriate and translated awareness campaigns for this population group. Since Hispanics in Tampa and Puerto Rico reported moderate levels of perception about risk and severity, as well as high levels of response efficacy and self-efficacy, interventions based on the Motivation for Protection Theory could be especially effective in promoting skin cancer prevention in this population subgroup.

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted all areas of society. The socio-emotional effects of isolation, financial instability, and educational and employment uncertainty are expected to impact the mental health of parents and children, a phenomenon not yet explored in the Puerto Rican context. To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on families in Puerto Rico, we used a correlational and cross-sectional research design that addressed the following aspects: (a) Adverse experiences (EA) related to the pandemic reported by parents; (b) Parental stress; (c) Parental psychopathology; (d) Children's mental health. Our hypothesis stated that AEs exert direct and indirect effects on children's mental health, mediated by mental health and parental stress. One hundred and thirty-five parents with children between 4 and 18 years old completed an anonymous online survey between March and May 2022. The results reveal that AEDs linked to COVID-19 have significant direct and indirect effects on children's mental health, mediated by parental stress and psychopathology. Moderate to large effect sizes were observed in associations between childhood mental health and AD, mediated by parental stress and psychopathology. Children's mental health symptoms intensify as parental stress and psychopathology increase in the context of COVID-19 related ADs.

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, faces numerous challenges that negatively affect public health, including poverty, a fragile health system, insufficient infrastructure, a debt crisis and vulnerability to natural disasters linked to climate change. The impact of these factors on the measure of Health-Related Quality of Life (HRVC) has not been comprehensively evaluated. Only two studies have addressed CVRS, the most recent being in 2011, prior to recent events that could influence public health. The present study aimed to evaluate CVRS and associated sociodemographic and health risk factors in adults living in Puerto Rico in 2019. Prevalences and 95% confidence intervals were used to describe CVRS and its relationship with sociodemographic and health variables in adults who answered the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey (n = 4,944) that year. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to identify the variables most associated with each of the four central CVRS questions (CVRS-4), expressed as odds of prevalence ratios adjusted for possible confounding factors. Through an exhaustive multivariable analysis, we identified significant risk factors: an increase in the number of chronic conditions, older age and low income, all associated with poor health-related quality of life in Puerto Rican adults. In particular, our findings indicate that people with a greater number of chronic conditions are more likely to report poor quality of life in all four dimensions evaluated. For each additional chronic condition, the chances of reporting: regular or poor general health increased 2.24 times (POR: 2.24, 95% CI: 2.08—2.41), physical impairment 1.93 times (POR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.78—2.08), mental deterioration 1.90 times (POR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.78—2.02) and limitation in activities 1.27 times (POR: 1.27, 95% CI: 1.13—1.42). Aging was associated with all domains of poor CVRS, except in the mental health setting, where was higher among the young population (POR: 4.76, 95% CI: 2.4—9.1). This study reveals that the prevalence of poor CVRS has not improved compared to the only previous study conducted in the last decade in Puerto Rico. We also show that poor CVRS is related to the coexistence of multiple chronic conditions in adults in Puerto Rico, possibly a consequence of the deterioration of health services following natural disasters and the island's socioeconomic crisis. The research highlights the need for focused interventions and continuous monitoring of population CVRS to address vulnerable subgroups, especially those with chronic diseases, the elderly and low income, in order to reduce health inequalities in Puerto Rico.

Water quality regulations involve a significant commitment of resources by both governments and private entities. It is essential to continuously evaluate the effectiveness of these regulations to ensure that they meet the expected impact. In this study, nutrient data were analyzed as indicators of primary productivity, together with dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations and pH as response variables, to evaluate historical trends in water quality in 55 stations in Puerto Rico. The stations were categorized as affected and unaffected according to their historical average concentration of total phosphorus (TF). The average concentrations of FT and total nitrogen (NT) were significantly higher in the affected seasons compared to the unaffected ones. In contrast, the average DO concentrations and the average pH values were significantly lower in the affected seasons. A generalized additive model with mixed effects was used to analyze temporal trends. In the affected seasons, a significant decrease in FT and NT concentrations was observed over time, accompanied by significant increases in DO and pH concentrations. The unaffected stations showed a marginal and statistically insignificant downward trend. The notable nutrient reductions observed in the affected seasons appear to be related to the closure of several major wastewater treatment plants (PTAR) on the island. The conversion of abandoned agricultural land into secondary forests over the past few decades has caused small but significant decreases in NT (not FT) in receiving streams. We conclude that the Clean Water Act has promoted improvements in water quality in Puerto Rico by promoting the modernization of health infrastructure and the regulation of specific sources of pollution.

To describe asthma control and environmental exposures at home among asthmatic adults and children in Puerto Rico, a cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) Asthma Monitoring Survey from 2014 to 2016, which included 931 adults and 177 children with active asthma in Puerto Rico. These data were analyzed to estimate the prevalence of uncontrolled asthma in Puerto Rico and to explore possible associations with domestic exposure to cockroaches, smoke and mold. Asthma control was classified according to day and night symptoms, activity limitation, and use of short-acting beta agonists. Prevalences and prevalence ratios adjusted for sample weighting were calculated. It was estimated that 53% of adults and 29% of children with asthma in Puerto Rico have uncontrolled asthma. Among asthmatic adults, in the last 30 days, 29% experienced mold and 50% saw cockroaches in the home; in addition, in the previous week, 12% reported the presence of tobacco smoke in their home. Adults with uncontrolled asthma were 1.4 times more likely to have observed mold in their homes compared to those with controlled asthma, adjusting for age, sex, education, and income (prevalence ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.4 [1.1, 1.8]). Similarly, children with uncontrolled asthma were more likely to be exposed to mold at home compared to children with controlled asthma (adjusted PR [95% CI]: 3.0 [1.3, 7.1]). Uncontrolled asthma is common in adults and children with asthma in Puerto Rico. These findings suggest possible differences in household exposure to mold depending on asthma control status.

The impact of consecutive natural events on educational outcomes was analyzed using the case study of Puerto Rico. It explains how interruptions in school service linked to Hurricane Maria and the earthquake sequence of 2020 affected academic performance, especially in vulnerable populations. The data comes from a variety of databases and includes individual student information. Empirical analyses include the difference in differences (DD) method, the Heckman—Copula estimate, Propensity Score Pairing, Cox and Weibull duration regressions, and the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) method. Our findings suggest that students in severely affected areas, or whose school was permanently closed after the hurricane, are more likely to decrease their academic performance and, in certain cases, to drop out of school after the disaster. It concludes with public policy recommendations to strengthen the capacity to respond to school interruptions caused by hurricanes, floods or earthquakes.

Like many island communities with limited resources, most municipalities in Puerto Rico lack adequate medical services. However, there is little information on variations in hospital capacity and regional disparities in the availability of hospital services in Puerto Rico, especially after the multiple public health emergencies that the island has faced in recent years (for example, hurricanes, earthquakes and COVID-19). This study describes trends in hospital capacity and utilization in Puerto Rico and its health regions from 2010 to 2020. We analyzed the Area Health Resources Archive (AHRF) 2021—22 and grouped the data according to seven health regions, which correspond to clusters of municipalities defined by the Puerto Rico Department of Health. The ten-year estimates of hospital utilization were adjusted according to the population size of each region. During the last five years, there have been decreases in the number of hospitals, hospital beds and surgeries, which represents a change compared to the previous five years. Over the course of the decade analyzed, population-adjusted measures of hospital utilization in Puerto Rico decreased, despite multiple catastrophes that, theoretically, would have increased the need for health services. We also detected variations in hospital capacity and utilization between health regions, indicating that the exchange rate was not uniform across the island. The capacity of the Puerto Rican hospital system has shrunk over the past decade, which could make it difficult to respond to new recurrent health emergencies, especially in specific regions.

In 2021, approximately 75,000 people died from violence-related injuries in the United States. This report summarizes data from the CDC's National Violent Death Information System (NVDRS), corresponding to violent deaths that occurred in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico during 2021. The results are broken down by sex, age group, race and ethnicity, method of injury, type of place where the injury occurred, circumstances of the event and other selected characteristics. This report incorporates new variables on incidents and circumstances, including specific information on child victims. In addition, it adopts the revised race and ethnicity categories from the U.S. Census. Department of State, which are now considering the possibility of identifying people of more than one race, as well as the categories of native Hawaiian islanders or other Pacific Islanders, using updated denominators for calculating rates in these populations. The NVDRS collects information on violent deaths from death certificates, records from forensics and medical examiners, and reports from law enforcement agencies. The data presented here correspond to violent deaths that occurred in 2021. Information was included from 48 states (excluding Florida and Hawaii), the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Forty-six states provided full statewide data, while two states provided partial data for certain localities (31 California counties, representing 64% of its population, and 13 Texas counties, comprising 63% of its population). In addition, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico reported data corresponding to their respective jurisdictions. NVDRS integrates information on each violent death and links those related deaths (for example, multiple homicides, homicide followed by suicide, or multiple suicides) into a single incident. In 2021, NVDRS collected information on 68,866 fatal incidents involving 70,688 deaths that occurred in 48 states (46 with full coverage, 31 counties in California and 13 in Texas) and the District of Columbia. The deaths recorded in NVDRS represented 86.5% of all homicides, deaths due to legal intervention, suicides, accidental firearm injuries, and deaths of undetermined purpose in the United States during that year. Additionally, information was collected on 816 fatal incidents with 880 deaths in Puerto Rico, whose data were analyzed separately. Of the 70,688 deaths reported, the majority (58.2%) were suicides, followed by homicides (31.5%), deaths of undetermined intent that could be attributed to violence (8.2%), deaths due to legal intervention (1.3%) —that is, deaths caused by law enforcement officers or other persons legally authorized to use lethal force in the exercise of their functions, excluding legal executions— and finally, accidental deaths caused by firearms that accounted for less than 1.0%. The term “legal intervention” is a classification included in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, and does not imply the lawfulness or legality of the circumstances in which a law enforcement officer caused death.

Cardiometabolic diseases are among the leading causes of mortality worldwide and are increasing in prevalence in rapidly aging populations. The socioeconomic position (PSE) of the neighborhood and the composition of the household have become increasingly important as determinants of cardiometabolic health, although their analysis in Puerto Rico has been scarce. This study explored the association between neighborhood PSE, forms of living together and the incidence of cardiometabolic conditions in older adults living on the island, using longitudinal data from the Puerto Rican Elderly Health Conditions Project (Oleadas I 2002/03 and II 2006/07), linked to census information from 2000 at the neighborhood level. The sample included non-institutionalized adults aged 60 years or older who stayed in the same residence during both periods (N = 2,769). Multilevel multinomial logistic regression models were applied to analyze the relationship between neighborhood PSE and the prevalence and incidence of cardiometabolic diseases. The results indicate that living in a socioeconomically favored neighborhood was positively associated with the presence of at least one cardiometabolic condition at the beginning, but not with the incidence of such conditions during follow-up. Living without a partner was negatively associated with the presence of cardiometabolic diseases compared to living accompanied by a partner. Similar findings were observed regarding the incidence of these conditions. The composition of the household significantly modified the relationship between neighborhood PSE and cardiometabolic health. In contrast to living with a partner, residing only in a socioeconomically privileged neighborhood was associated with a lower risk of reporting a condition. In addition, living with children in a favorable socioeconomic environment correlated with a reduced risk of developing a cardiometabolic condition compared to living with a partner. The structure of the household proves to be a more determining factor for cardiometabolic health than the socioeconomic position of the neighborhood. It is imperative to design social programs and services that consider family composition to identify Puerto Rican older adults at potential risk of underdiagnosed chronic conditions, especially in the face of economic, demographic, environmental and health crises that threaten to aggravate social inequalities.

Although the Hispanic population is growing rapidly, Latino students earn fewer degrees in STEM than their peers. Therefore, it is essential to implement strategies that increase retention and graduation rates in STEM for Hispanic students. There is little research on how collaborative multi-campus CUREs combined with additional academic support influence on low-income Hispanic students, and none that focuses exclusively on Puerto Rican students in STEM. Puerto Rico (PR), with a 99% Hispanic population, must be included in the educational research literature. This study examined the impact of the Research for Improved Student Experiences (RISE) program on STEM on two campuses of the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. The program incorporated collaborative multi-campus CUREs, academic advising and peer tutoring, using a quasi-experimental design. The evaluation included psychosocial metrics such as self-efficacy, scientific identity and sense of belonging in a pre/post test design. These findings were triangulated with the differences between the experimental group and the control in retention, approval rate, and grades. The results revealed statistically significant improvements in all metrics. The findings of this study support the effectiveness of collaborative multi-campus CUREs, academic counseling, and peer-to-peer tutoring as valuable strategies for improving outcomes for low-income Hispanic students in Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico (PR) is a territory of the United States (USA). Department of State) with a history marked by colonial violence, poverty and government corruption. As a result of these sociopolitical factors and natural disasters (for example, hurricanes and earthquakes), there has been a significant increase in the migration of residents of PR to the continental United States. Local media and professional health organizations focus their attention on the impact that this medical migration has on the health system in PR, such as the shortage of healthcare personnel and the long waiting times for critical care. According to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of PR, between 365 and 500 doctors have been migrating annually since 2014, a situation that represents a crisis in access to health services. However, there are few studies that address strategies to mitigate this medical migration to the American mainland. This article presents the recommendations provided by Puerto Rican doctors (PRPs), both migrants and non-migrants, to counteract such migration. It is based on qualitative data from an NIH-funded mixed-methods study (1R01MD014188) that explores the factors that motivate or deter migration between migrant (n = 26) and non-migrant (n = 24) PRPs. The interviews were analyzed according to the guidelines of the thematic analysis. The results highlight the following thematic lines: 1) strategies for retaining early-stage resident doctors who remain in PR; 2) recommendations addressed to the local government regarding future health policies; and 3) initiatives in the work environment of health institutions to mitigate medical migration. The findings suggest the need for multisectoral efforts to curb medical migration in PR.

This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to food insecurity in Puerto Rican households with children with disabilities, compared to households with children without disabilities.

Background Craniomaxillofacial trauma (CMF) represents a significant problem in the United States, with estimated costs amounting to nearly one billion dollars annually. Facial fractures occur based on factors such as facial structure, the direction and intensity of the impact, and the mechanism of injury. The most common facial fractures include the nose, the orbits, the zygomatic complex, the mandible, the maxilla, and the frontal bone. In addition, demographic, social, cultural and environmental factors can influence specific trauma mechanisms, such as falls and traffic accidents, generating different rates of CMF injuries among populations. In general, CMF trauma carries a significant potential for morbidity and mortality. This study aims to provide the first approximation of the prevalence of CMF trauma in Puerto Rico. MethodsThis retrospective study includes patients aged 0 to 100 years who presented CMF trauma between 2018 and 2022 in the only trauma center in Puerto Rico. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including the mechanism of injury, affected craniofacial structures, treatment and outcomes. Data frequencies were documented and statistical analysis was performed using one-factor ANOVA and T-tests. Results 1,102 patients with CMF lesions were included, of whom 83.1% were men and 16.4% women, with a mean age of 40.67 years. The most common mechanisms were non-automobile traffic accidents (23.6%), motor vehicle accidents (22.9%), hits (18.4%), falls (15.9%) and firearm injuries (10.4%). 32.7% of patients had cranial fractures in the following regions: temporal (16.2%), frontal (10.6%), parietal (7.8%) and occipital (5.3%). Facial fractures affected 70% of patients, distributed in: middle face, including maxilla, nose, zygoma and orbits (61.8%); lower side, including mandible (17.7%); and upper side, including frontal bone (9%). Approximately 19.8% of patients with CMF fractures required surgical management. The mortality rate was 11.8%. The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) and the Injury Severity Score (ISS) were significantly worse in patients with cranial (p < 0.001) and/or facial (p < 0.001) fractures compared to those who suffered CMF trauma without fractures. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first study to characterize CMF trauma in Puerto Rico. The majority of affected patients were adult men. Common etiologies of injury align with those reported in the literature, including traffic accidents, falls, and firearm injuries. Facial fractures were more prevalent than cranial fractures in our cohort. Patients with highly serious injuries were more likely to be operated surgically. By establishing the epidemiological landscape of CMF trauma in Puerto Rico, public and clinical health efforts can be implemented to improve patient outcomes.

Understanding the interactions between viruses is crucial for evaluating the transmission and severity of diseases. Positive interactions indicate simultaneous circulation, while negative interactions reflect a reduction in the transmission of one virus when another is predominant. This study analyzes the relationships between seven respiratory viruses using a Bayesian approach that considers seasonality and long-term trends.

This is a descriptive study that uses data from health service claims for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) from public and private insurers operating in Puerto Rico during 2013, with the objective of estimating the prevalence of comorbidities in this population. Descriptive analyses were performed according to sociodemographic variables and type of service, using frequencies and percentages for categorical data, and averages (+/- DE) or medians (RIC) for continuous variables. Chi-square, Fisher's exact or independent sample t-tests were used for comparisons. A total of 3,100,636 complaints were identified for 485,866 adult patients with T2DM. 48% of the studied population was over 65 years old. The majority were women (57%) and had private insurance (77%). The Metropolitan Area (17%) and Caguas (16%) regions reported the highest number of people with T2DM. The estimated global prevalence of T2DM was 17.4%. The number of complaints per patient ranged from 1 to 339, with an average of 6.3 claims (DE±9.99) and a median of 3 (Q1 1 - Q3 8). Of the total number of complaints, the majority (74%) were related to the diagnosis of diabetes (59%) and related to outpatient services (88%). The most common comorbidities were hypertension (48%), hyperlipidemia (41%), neuropathy (21%), kidney disease (15%) and retinopathy (13%). There was evidence of a high prevalence and co-prevalence of comorbidities, as well as an intense use of health services, especially in older adults with T2DM. Since most comorbidities are the consequence of conditions associated with diabetes, this analysis highlights the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate management to avoid preventable burdens for both the patient and the healthcare system.

The purpose of this study is to provide knowledge about the use of nursing homes in the post-acute phase and quality indicators among Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico, compared to the continental United States (USA). UU.). Medicare data from 2015 to 2017 were used to identify new registrations to skilled nursing (SNF) facilities using the Minimum Data Set and the analysis of Medicare providers and reviews. **Context and participants: ** post-acute care patients admitted to SNF in Puerto Rico and the United States UU. Our final cohort included 4,732,222 Medicare beneficiaries under traditional Medicare or Medicare Advantage programs, admitted to an SNF (N=15,197) after an acute hospitalization. Demographic, clinical, and facility-level characteristics were compared between patients in Puerto Rico and the United States. UU. In addition, two quality indicators were described: a) 30-day hospital readmission rates; and b) successful discharge from the center to the community. Medicare patients in Puerto Rico showed better physical and cognitive conditions than patients in the United States. UU. However, Puerto Ricans were more likely to be admitted to lower-quality housing than their U.S. counterparts (2.5 vs. 3.4). Finally, the rate of successful discharges to the community was higher in Puerto Rico (17.6, 95% CI 13.0 - 22.3), although they also had higher rates of hospital readmission after 30 days compared to patients in the United States. UU. (11.2, 95% CI, 6.2 — 16.3). These differences were maintained when comparing Puerto Ricans with only Hispanics in the United States. UU. SNFs both in the U.S. The U.S. and Puerto Rico now face financial penalties for high readmission rates. Currently, Medicare does not measure readmission rates for patients under Medicare Advantage, despite the fact that in some states, including Puerto Rico, there is a high proportion of beneficiaries in this program. Given the continued increase in enrollment in Medicare Advantage, our results highlight the importance of evaluating the performance of these patients and analyzing the disparities in the quality of post-acute care between Puerto Rico and the United States. UU. Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico were admitted to lower-quality skilled nursing homes and had 30-day readmission rates that were more than eight percentage points higher than patients in the continental United States.

The combined effects of decreased fertility and increased longevity have accelerated population aging in various regions of the world. Unlike other countries, Puerto Rico faces unprecedented levels of working-age migration. The full impact of this high migration on Puerto Rican demographics is not yet fully understood. Contextualizing Puerto Rico's aging process at the international level is useful for identifying the role that migration plays in accelerating the aging of its society. Using estimates from the World Population Prospects 2019, we compared the accelerated aging pattern observed in Puerto Rico with the trajectories of six countries with the largest population of people over 65 in the world, Europe and the Caribbean, from 1960 to 2020. Until 2010, the aging process in Puerto Rico was comparable to that of these countries. However, after 2010, the percentage of the population over 65 in Puerto Rico nearly doubled, from 11% to 21%. This marked increase is not observed in any of the countries compared. We conclude that the rapid aging of Puerto Rico, which evolves from a linear to an exponential trend, is due to increasing levels of migration, mainly concentrated in the working-age population.

A study was conducted to evaluate mental health status and access to essential resources in a sample of teachers affected by earthquakes and the COVID-19 pandemic in southwestern Puerto Rico.

Our objective was to determine the relationship between socioeconomic and psychological factors and comprehensive cardiovascular health (CVH), defined according to Life's Essential 8 (LE8) of the American Heart Association, in young adults in Puerto Rico. 2,156 young people between 18 and 29 years of age enrolled in the PR-OUTLOOK study participated. The analysis included survey data, laboratory tests and physical measurements collected between September 2020 and November 2023. The socioeconomic indicators evaluated included food insecurity, housing instability, economic insecurity and the subjective perception of social status. The psychological factors analyzed included symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and general perceived stress. The LE8 scores were calculated and classified as suboptimal CVH (poor/intermediate range) versus ideal. Using logistic regression models, the associations between each socioeconomic and psychological factor and suboptimal CVH were estimated; in addition, a dominance analysis determined the relative relevance of each variable. The average age of the participants was 22.6 years (SD = 3.1), 60.9% were women, approximately one third (34.2%) had secondary education or lower, and more than a third had public insurance or no health insurance (38.4%). Those who reported socioeconomic adversities (high food insecurity, housing instability, economic insecurity, and low subjective perception of social status) and high psychological symptoms (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, and perceived stress) had lower CVH scores. However, in the adjusted analysis, only low subjective perception of social status (OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.13—1.69), as well as high anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.63, 95% CI = 1.25—2.13) and depression (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.03—1.65) were highlighted as the main contributors to suboptimal versus ideal CVH. Conclusion: Initiatives to preserve and improve cardiovascular health in Puerto Rican youth should focus on these factors.