Socioeconomic Inequalities in the Prevalence of Nine Established Cardiovascular Risk Factors in a Southern European Population

• Tipo: Artigo em Revista Científica Internacional
• Data: 2012

Autores

Alves, L (Autor) FMUP; Azevedo A (Autor) FMUP; Silva S (Autor) FMUP; Barros H (Autor) FMUP

Revista

Título: PLoS ONE

Vol. 7 Nº 4

Página Final: e37158

ISSN: 1932-6203

Editora: Public Library of Science

Indexação

ISI Web of Knowledge - 31 Citações

Scopus - 39 Citações

Outras Informações

ID Authenticus: P-002-9YE

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037158

Abstract (EN): The evaluation of the gender-specific prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors across socioeconomic position (SEP) categories may unravel mechanisms involved in the development of coronary heart disease. Using a sample of 1704 community dwellers of a Portuguese urban center aged 40 years or older, assessed in 1999-2003, we quantified the age-standardized prevalence of nine established cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, smoking, sedentariness, abdominal obesity, poor diet, excessive alcohol intake and depression) across SEP and gender categories. Data on individual education and occupation were collected by questionnaire and used to characterize SEP. The prevalence of seven out of nine well-established risk factors was higher in men. Among women, the prevalence of most of the studied risk factors was higher in lower SEP groups. The main exception was smoking, which increased with education and occupation levels. Among men, socioeconomic gradients were less clear, but lower SEP was associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes, excessive alcohol intake and depression in a graded mode. The historical cultural beliefs and practices captured throughout the lifecourse frame the wide socioeconomic gradients discernible in our study conducted in an unequal European developed population. While men were more exposed to most risk factors, the clearer associations between SEP and risk factors among women support that their adoption of particular healthy behaviors is more dependent on material and symbolic conditions. To fully address the issue of health inequalities, interventions within the health systems should be complemented with population-based policies specifically designed to reduce socioeconomic gradients.

Idioma: Inglês

Tipo (Avaliação Docente): Científica

Nº de páginas: 9