Systolic blood pressure, socioeconomic status, and biobehavioral risk factors in a nationally representative US young adult sample.

ABSTRACT: In the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a US longitudinal study of >15 000 young adults, we examined the extent to which socioeconomic status is linked to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and whether biobehavioral risk factors mediate the association. More than 62% of the participants had SBP >120 mm Hg and 12% had SBP >140 mm Hg. More than 66% were classified as at least overweight (body mass index >25 kg/m(2)), with >36% meeting criteria for at least class I obesity (body mass index >30 kg/m(2)). Multivariate models showed that higher household income and being married were independently associated with lower SBP. Higher body mass index, greater waist circumference, smoking, and higher alcohol intake were each independently associated with higher SBP. Meditational analyses

SUBMITTER: Brummett BH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3160108 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature