Health Promot Perspect 1(2): 105-110

Socioeconomic Status and Coronary Heart Disease

^{1Department of Health Care Management, School of Health & Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran}

^{The Medical Education Research Centre, R & D Campus, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran}

^{Department of Health Education and Promotion, School of Health & Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran}

^{Department of Health Care Administration, School of Management & Medical information, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran}

^{Corresponding Authors: Hossein Matlabi. Fax: 0411-3344731, Tel: 0411-3357580}ri.ca.demzbt@hibaltam

Received 2011 Jul 23; Accepted 2011 Oct 12.

Abstract

Background: Iran has undergone a remarkable demographic transition over the last three decades. Socioeconomic status (SES) indicators including education, income, and occupation are associated with coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factors, morbidity, and mortality. The aim of the present study was to describe demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, their association to the diseases, and to explore the predictive risk of CHD in Tabriz, the fourth largest city in Iran and the capital of East Azerbaijan Province.

Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out to explore and analyze the current SES status of CHD patients. The study was conducted in Tabriz and all patients (n=189) refereed to the Central Referral Hospital for cardiac patients (Shahid Madani Hospital) from 2009 to 2010 were considered. A researcher structured questionnaire with 15 questions was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the basic SES features of the CHD patients and data analysis was done using SPSS ver. 16.

Results: Less educated participants were more susceptible to CHD. Regarding to occupational status, housewives and retired men were in higher risk of CHD than the rest of the people. Studied patients also reported to be mostly from urban areas that were living in apartment complexes.

Conclusion: In line with some international research evidence the study results suggested that people from lower/middle social classes were in greater CHD risk than higher social classes. This epidemic might be halted through the promotion of healthier lifestyles and the support of environmental and policy changes.

Keywords: Coronary Heart Disease, Socioeconomic Status, Health Determinants

Abstract

Acknowledgments

This project was funded and supported by the Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. The authors are grateful for valuable comments and suggestions Dr. Abdolreza Shaghaghi provided and kindly help in preparation of final draft of the paper. We also would like to thank the study participants, authorities in Shahid Madani Hospital, and faculty of health and nutrition. The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests.

Acknowledgments

References

1. Mackenbach JP, Stirbu I. et al. Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health in 22 European Countries. N Engl J Med. 2008;358:2468–2481.[PubMed]
2. Clark AM, DesMeules M, Luo W, Duncan AS, Wielgosz ASocioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease: risks and implications for care. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2009;6:712–22.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
3. Shaper AG, Pocock SJ, Walker M, Cohen NM, Wale CJ, Thomson AGBrit ish Regional Heart Study: cardiovascular risk factors in middle-aged men in 24 towns. Br Med J. 1981;283(6285):179–86.[Google Scholar]
4. Fernández-Jarne E, Martínez-Losa E, Prado-Santamaría M, Brugarolas-Brufau C, Serrano-Martínez M, Martínez- González MARisk of first non-fatal myocardial infarction negatively associated with olive oil consumption: a case control study in Spain. Int J Epidemiol. 2002;31(2):474–80.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
5. Tenconi MT, Devoti G, Comelli MSocioeconomic indicators and mortality for ischemic cardiopathy in the RIFLE Population The RIFLE Group: Risk Factors and Life Expectancy. G Ital Cardiol. 1999;29(6):698–704.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
6. Reddy KK, Rao AP, Reddy TPSocioeconomic status and the prevalence of coronary heart disease risk factors. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2002;11(2):98–103.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
7. WHO, Health and development, Accessed July 2011Available at:
8. Kaplan GA, Keil JESocioeconomic factors and cardiovascular disease: a review of the literature. Circulation. 1993;88(4 Pt 1):1973–98.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
9. Singh SP,Sen P. Coronary heart disease: The Changing Scenario.. Accessed September 2011 from [PubMed]
10. Gupta R, Gupta VP, Ahluwalia NSEducational status, coronary heart disease, and coronary risk factor prevalence in a rural population of India. BMJ. 1994;309(6965):1332–6.[Google Scholar]
11. Bagchi S, Biswas R, Bhadra UK, Roy A, Mundle M, Dutta PKSmoking, alcohol consumption and coronary heart disease: a risk factor study. Indian J Commun Med. 2001;26(4):208–11.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
12. Krishnaswami SObservations on serial changes in coronary artery disease in Indians. Curr Sci. 1998;74(12):1064–8.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
13. Pekkanen J, Uutela A, Valkonen T, Vartiainen E, Tuomilehto J, Puska PCoronary risk factor levels: differences between educational groups in 1972-87 in eastern Finland. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1995;49(2):144–9.[Google Scholar]
14. Hatmi ZN, Tahvildari S, Gafarzadeh Motlag A, Sabouri Kashani APrevalence of coronary artery disease risk factors in Iran: a population based survey. BMC Cardiovasc Dis. 2007;7:32.[Google Scholar]
15. Singh RB, Sharma JP, Rastogi VSocial class and coronary disease in a rural population of North India. Eur Heart J. 1997;18:588–595.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
16. Gwatkin DR, Heuveline PImproving the health of the world’s poor. BMJ. 1997;315:497–498.[Google Scholar]
17. Gupta R, Gupta VPLessons for prevention from coronary heart disease epidemiological study in western India. Curr Sci. 1998;74:1074–1077.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
18. Reddy KK, Ramachandraiah T, Reddanna P, Thyagaraju KSerum lipid peroxides and lipids in urban and rural Indian men. Arch Environ Health. 1994;49:123–127.[PubMed][Google Scholar]
19. Murray CJL,Lopez AD. The global burden of disease: comprehensive assessment of mortality and disability from diseases, injuries and risk factors in 1990 and projected to 2020. Accessed May 2011. [PubMed]