Education, household wealth and blood pressure in Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Ukraine: findings from the Demographic Health Surveys, 2005-2009.

ABSTRACT:

Background

While socioeconomic gradients in cardiovascular disease have been well established in high-income countries, this relationship is not well understood in middle-income countries.

Methods

Data from Demographic Health Surveys collected in Albania (2008-09), Armenia (2005), Azerbaijan (2006) and Ukraine (2007) were used to estimate age-adjusted differences in systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse pressure (PP), hypertension (HTN), elevated blood pressure, and optimal blood pressure across a standardized wealth index, level of educational attainment, and urban versus rural residence.

Results

The wealthiest Albanian females had lower average SBP, DBP, PP (all p<0.01) and HTN status (odds ratio [OR]=0.3, CI: 0.2-0.5, p<0.001) compare

SUBMITTER: Harhay MO 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3638237 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature