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Table 1 Baseline characteristics by educational attainment and wealth tertile

From: Explaining significant differences in subjective and objective measures of cardiovascular health: evidence for the socioeconomic gradient in a population-based study

 

Education

Wealth

Total

No/primary

Secondary

Tertiary/ higher

1st tertile

2nd tertile

3rd tertile

Unweighted sample size

1,089

1,741

1,349

940

1,172

1,325

4,179

Outcome variables

 

Self-reported CVDs:

 Hypertension

44.8

32.8

30.8

38.4

38.2

31.5

37.0

 High cholesterol

41.5

39.8

43.7

38.7

39.7

45.5

41.1

Objectively measured CVDs:

 Hypertensiona

74.3

59.9

52.4

69.2

63.3

57.7

64.0

 Hypercholesterolemiab

71.9

71.2

74.6

70.9

71.9

72.4

72.1

 LDL-cholesterol, mean

2.8

2.9

3.0

2.9

2.9

2.9

2.9

 HDL-cholesterol, mean

1.5

1.5

1.6

1.5

1.5

1.6

1.5

Covariates

Male

48.8

47.9

52.6

46.8

48.3

54.4

49.1

Age, mean

68.4

60.9

60.4

64.9

62.9

61.6

63.7

Married/cohabiting

60.3

74.9

74.9

52.6

70.6

83.2

69.4

Place of residence:

 Dublin

25.1

23.7

36.2

21.5

20.4

40.0

26.5

 Another town/city

25.4

28.1

25.0

30.5

28.2

19.0

26.5

 Rural area

49.5

48.2

38.9

48.1

51.4

41.0

46.9

Grew up in poor family

36.0

19.2

13.9

32.4

24.9

18.1

24.6

Smoking:

 Current smoker

19.5

17.0

11.3

27.4

14.9

11.0

16.9

 Past smoker

40.9

36.9

40.1

36.9

42.4

37.2

39.1

 Never smoked

39.5

46.1

48.6

35.7

42.7

51.8

44.0

Drinking:c

 Alcoholic drinks per week, mean

4.6

6.2

6.8

5.9

5.1

6.9

5.8

 CAGE score ≤1

76.7

78.0

77.1

74.7

78.0

78.8

77.4

 CAGE score ≥2

8.9

12.7

15.0

11.9

11.0

13.4

11.7

Kilocalories burnt per week, mean

3596.9

4183.5

4284.5

3339.8

3778.6

4594.4

3979.1

Waist circumference, mean

97.8

95.3

94.5

97.0

96.6

95.0

96.1

Self-reported diabetes

9.5

6.3

5.2

8.5

7.0

6.2

7.3

Self-reported other CVDs, mean

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.3

0.2

0.2

0.2

Visits to physician/H last year, mean

7.2

5.3

4.7

7.3

6.2

4.6

5.9

Health insurance coverage:

 Private

33.8

63.9

81.8

26.9

52.6

84.3

55.8

 Full public

72.5

39.2

22.3

71.2

50.9

22.6

48.7

 Partial public

1.9

2.0

1.3

2.7

2.6

0.6

1.8

Tested for cholesterol

90.5

88.1

90.1

86.2

89.7

91.0

89.3

  1. Values are expressed as percentages unless otherwise indicated. Sample weights are applied. Baseline characteristics for ‘Education’ and ‘Total’ are reported for N = 4,179. Baseline characteristics for ‘Wealth’ are reported for N = 3,437.
  2. Abbreviations: CVD Cardiovascular disorder, LDL Low-density lipoprotein, HDL High-density lipoprotein, H Hospital.
  3. aDefined as: systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥ 90 mm Hg and/or on antihypertensive medication (ATC codes: C02 (A-D,K,L,N), C03, C04, C07-C09).
  4. bDefined as: total cholesterol ≥5.2 mmol/L and/or on cholesterol lowering medication (ATC code: C10A (A-D, X) and C10B).
  5. cQuestions on alcohol intake and the CAGE questionnaire were asked in the self-completion questionnaire. Hence, information on alcohol intake and CAGE score is missing for respondents who underwent the health or home assessment but did not return the self-completion questionnaire.
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BMC Cardiovascular Disorders

ISSN: 1471-2261

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