Area social characteristics and carotid atherosclerosis.
(2007) In European Journal of Public Health 17(4). p.333-339- Abstract
- Objectives: To explore the effect of social characteristics of residential areas on carotid atherosclerosis
prevalence.
Methods and results: The associations among area social characteristics and B-mode ultrasound
determined carotid plaque-score (a semi-quantitative scale measuring the degree of atherosclerosis in
the carotid bifurcation area) were cross-sectionally investigated in a general population sample of 4033
men and women. Area socioeconomic circumstances were described through a social deprivation index
calculated from migration rate, percentage residents with foreign citizenship among those with foreign
background, dependency on social welfare support, and employment... (More) - Objectives: To explore the effect of social characteristics of residential areas on carotid atherosclerosis
prevalence.
Methods and results: The associations among area social characteristics and B-mode ultrasound
determined carotid plaque-score (a semi-quantitative scale measuring the degree of atherosclerosis in
the carotid bifurcation area) were cross-sectionally investigated in a general population sample of 4033
men and women. Area socioeconomic circumstances were described through a social deprivation index
calculated from migration rate, percentage residents with foreign citizenship among those with foreign
background, dependency on social welfare support, and employment rate. Living in socially deprived
areas was associated with an increased carotid plaque-score in both men (P for trend ¼ 0.004) and
women (P for trend ¼ 0.007). These associations were only slightly reduced after adjustment for
individual level indicators with a decrease of the absolute mean difference in carotid plaque-score
between worse-off and better-off areas of 9% for men and 13% for women, whereas adjustment for
risk factors turned the trend non-significant in women, however, not in men.
Conclusions: Those living in socially deprived areas in general had more extensive carotid
atherosclerosis. However, in these areas there were a substantial number of individuals with low
degrees of carotid atherosclerosis and vice versa. Thus, with regard to conceptual ideas of causal
inference, the social characteristics of an area seem to be associated with the prevalence of carotid
atherosclerosis. However, with regard to benefits of prevention, focusing on geographical areas would
probably give a restricted benefit, where only some high-risk individuals would be reached. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/163029
- author
- Rosvall, Maria LU ; Engström, Gunnar LU ; Hedblad, Bo LU ; Janzon, Lars LU and Berglund, Göran LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2007
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- social context, cardiovascular diseases, socioeconomic factors, carotid arteries, atherosclerosis
- in
- European Journal of Public Health
- volume
- 17
- issue
- 4
- pages
- 333 - 339
- publisher
- Oxford University Press
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000249370300005
- scopus:34547754018
- pmid:17121741
- ISSN
- 1101-1262
- DOI
- 10.1093/eurpub/ckl239
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- b64454bf-e613-4347-964a-41f993df5a20 (old id 163029)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 12:07:58
- date last changed
- 2022-01-26 23:14:09
@article{b64454bf-e613-4347-964a-41f993df5a20,
abstract = {{Objectives: To explore the effect of social characteristics of residential areas on carotid atherosclerosis<br/><br>
prevalence.<br/><br>
Methods and results: The associations among area social characteristics and B-mode ultrasound<br/><br>
determined carotid plaque-score (a semi-quantitative scale measuring the degree of atherosclerosis in<br/><br>
the carotid bifurcation area) were cross-sectionally investigated in a general population sample of 4033<br/><br>
men and women. Area socioeconomic circumstances were described through a social deprivation index<br/><br>
calculated from migration rate, percentage residents with foreign citizenship among those with foreign<br/><br>
background, dependency on social welfare support, and employment rate. Living in socially deprived<br/><br>
areas was associated with an increased carotid plaque-score in both men (P for trend ¼ 0.004) and<br/><br>
women (P for trend ¼ 0.007). These associations were only slightly reduced after adjustment for<br/><br>
individual level indicators with a decrease of the absolute mean difference in carotid plaque-score<br/><br>
between worse-off and better-off areas of 9% for men and 13% for women, whereas adjustment for<br/><br>
risk factors turned the trend non-significant in women, however, not in men.<br/><br>
Conclusions: Those living in socially deprived areas in general had more extensive carotid<br/><br>
atherosclerosis. However, in these areas there were a substantial number of individuals with low<br/><br>
degrees of carotid atherosclerosis and vice versa. Thus, with regard to conceptual ideas of causal<br/><br>
inference, the social characteristics of an area seem to be associated with the prevalence of carotid<br/><br>
atherosclerosis. However, with regard to benefits of prevention, focusing on geographical areas would<br/><br>
probably give a restricted benefit, where only some high-risk individuals would be reached.}},
author = {{Rosvall, Maria and Engström, Gunnar and Hedblad, Bo and Janzon, Lars and Berglund, Göran}},
issn = {{1101-1262}},
keywords = {{social context; cardiovascular diseases; socioeconomic
factors; carotid arteries; atherosclerosis}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{4}},
pages = {{333--339}},
publisher = {{Oxford University Press}},
series = {{European Journal of Public Health}},
title = {{Area social characteristics and carotid atherosclerosis.}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckl239}},
doi = {{10.1093/eurpub/ckl239}},
volume = {{17}},
year = {{2007}},
}