Ethnic differences of small turtle ownership in the United States: a descriptive analysis of Porter Novelli Estilos and SpringStyles surveys, 2021 and 2023
- 1Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- 2Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education
- 3Office of Health Equity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Abstract
Introduction: Turtles with shell length <4 inches (“small turtles”) are prohibited for sale as pets in the United States because of their potential to expose people, particularly children, to Salmonella . In previous multistate turtle-associated salmonellosis outbreaks, people of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity have been disproportionately affected. This study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics of United States adults who own small turtles and to document the purchase locations of these small turtles.
Methods: We analyzed data from a nationally representative survey of Hispanic United States adults and a nationally representative survey of all United States adults. Both surveys included similar questions about small turtle ownership and purchase locations. We compared frequencies of responses from these two surveys using weighted cross-tabulations.
Results: Twenty percent (95% CI: 16.1–24.1%) of Hispanic or Latino people reported ever owning small turtles, compared with 14% (95% CI: 12.8–14.9%) of respondents of all other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Sixty four percent (95% CI: 54.3–74.4%) of Hispanic respondents reported purchasing their small turtles from pet stores.
Conclusion: A greater percentage of Hispanic or Latino adults have ever owned small turtles compared to other United States adults, which may contribute to the overrepresentation of Hispanic and Latino people in turtle-associated outbreaks. Additional research could help elucidate factors contributing to higher turtle ownership among Hispanic and Latino people and how knowledge, attitudes, and practices of small turtle owners affects salmonellosis risk. Such information could aid in focusing public health prevention efforts on populations who reported higher weighted prevalence of owning small turtles.
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BibTeX
@article{wong2026ethnic,
title = {{Ethnic differences of small turtle ownership in the United States: a descriptive analysis of Porter Novelli Estilos and SpringStyles surveys, 2021 and 2023}},
author = {Marisa Wong and G. Sean Stapleton and Julio Dicent Taillepierre and Katharine Benedict},
journal = {Frontiers in Public Health},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpubh.2026.1920888},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1920888/full},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Ethnic differences of small turtle ownership in the United States: a descriptive analysis of Porter Novelli Estilos and SpringStyles surveys, 2021 and 2023
AU - Marisa Wong
AU - G. Sean Stapleton
AU - Julio Dicent Taillepierre
AU - Katharine Benedict
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/15
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2026.1920888
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2026.1920888/full
AB - Introduction: Turtles with shell length <4 inches (“small turtles”) are prohibited for sale as pets in the United States because of their potential to expose people, particularly children, to Salmonella . In previous multistate turtle-associated salmonellosis outbreaks, people of Hispanic or Latino ethnicity have been disproportionately affected. This study aimed to describe the demographic characteristics of United States adults who own small turtles and to document the purchase locations of these small turtles. Methods: We analyzed data from a nationally representative survey of Hispanic United States adults and a nationally representative survey of all United States adults. Both surveys included similar questions about small turtle ownership and purchase locations. We compared frequencies of responses from these two surveys using weighted cross-tabulations. Results: Twenty percent (95% CI: 16.1–24.1%) of Hispanic or Latino people reported ever owning small turtles, compared with 14% (95% CI: 12.8–14.9%) of respondents of all other racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Sixty four percent (95% CI: 54.3–74.4%) of Hispanic respondents reported purchasing their small turtles from pet stores. Conclusion: A greater percentage of Hispanic or Latino adults have ever owned small turtles compared to other United States adults, which may contribute to the overrepresentation of Hispanic and Latino people in turtle-associated outbreaks. Additional research could help elucidate factors contributing to higher turtle ownership among Hispanic and Latino people and how knowledge, attitudes, and practices of small turtle owners affects salmonellosis risk. Such information could aid in focusing public health prevention efforts on populations who reported higher weighted prevalence of owning small turtles.
SN - 2296-2565
ER -