The association between cardiovascular disease risk and parental educational level in portuguese children

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2012

Authors

Duncan, M. J. (Author) Other; Vale, S. (Author) Other; Santos, M. P. (Author) FADEUP; Ribeiro, J. C. (Author) FADEUP; Mota, J. (Author) FADEUP

Journal

Title: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Vol. 9 No. 12

Pages: 4311-4320

ISSN: 1661-7827

Publisher: MDPI

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 7 Citations

Scopus - 6 Citations

Scientific classification

FOS: Social sciences

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-002-2NY

DOI: 10.3390/ijerph9124311

Abstract (EN): The aim of this study was to examine any differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in Portuguese children split by parental educational level. A cross-sectional school-based study was conducted in 2011 on 359 Portuguese children (202 girls and 157 boys) aged 10 to 17 years (mean age +/- SD = 13.9 +/- 1.98 years). Height and body mass were assessed to determine body mass index (BMI). Parental education level (PEL) was used as a surrogate for socioeconomic status (SES). Capillary blood sampling was used to determine: Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), Fasting Glucos (GLUC), High and Low Density Lipoprotein (HDL/LDL). These measurements were combined with measures of systolic blood pressure and cardiorespiratory fitness as z-scores. CVD risk was constructed by summing the z-scores. Analysis of covariance, controlling for BMI, indicated that CVD risk was significantly different across PEL groups (p = 0.01), with CVD risk score being significantly lower in low (p = 0.04) and middle (p = 0.008) PEL groups, compared to high PEL. Moreover, the covariate, BMI was also significant (p = 0.0001, beta = 0.023), evidencing a significant positive association between BMI and CVD risk, with higher BMI associated with greater CVD risk. In Portuguese children, significantly greater CVD risk was found for children of high PEL, while higher BMI was associated with greater CVD risk.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10