by Stephanie Stephens
How a person defines their own socioeconomic standing (SES) within their community can help predict their risk of cardiovascular disease, but only among Whites, not Blacks, finds a recent study in Ethnicity and Disease.
"We know objective measures of SES like income, education, and occupation and how that influences cardiovascular disease risk can be 'measured' by an outsider, but we wondered about the influence when a person evaluates their own social standing, even as they struggle to meet basic needs," says lead study author Allyssa Allen, M.Ed., a doctoral candidate in human services psychology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County.
The researchers used data from participants enrolled in the 2010 Baltimore-based, Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. They calculated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using the Framingham 10-year risk equation and analyzed SES using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status.
Allen and colleagues found that, as expected, lower social standing and lower self-rating were associated with higher CVD risk, but were surprised that this was true for Whites only. "We actually expected the opposite due to the influence of racial discrimination on perceived social standing and cardiovascular disease risk," she said. The findings persisted even after adjusting for poverty, body mass index, depression and the use of high blood pressure medication.
"People may rate social standing based upon how active they are in the community, the level of respect they receive, their material wealth, education, occupation, spiritual and ethical values and social responsibility—more than just income," Allen explained.
Allen suggests that clinicians could ask patients about their own perceptions of SES. "That opens the door to talk about how much difficulty they have getting to doctors' appointments, obtaining medication and eating healthy food. We might also use this assessment for CVD risk on a population level."
"The social environment in which we live has a critical impact on our health and well-being," said Susan Everson-Rose, Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of medicine and associate director at the Center for Health Equity at the University of Minnesota. "This is true for men, women, children, and people of all racial or ethnic groups. This new study demonstrates that perceptions of one's place within the community social milieu may matter for heart health, perhaps more so for whites than for blacks. The social characteristics people consider when positioning themselves on the SES ladder likely vary widely so the reasons for the seeming race differences in this study are unknown."
Racial disparities retain a stubborn hold on public health outcomes, she said. "Within the U.S., black-white disparities in cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes have persisted despite advances in treatments, greater understanding of disease pathology and better access to health care. We need to do more work to understand how the social environment may play a role in these disparities."
Explore further: Eliminating copayments improves adherence, reduces adverse events in nonwhite patients
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Eliminating copayments improves adherence, reduces adverse events in nonwhite patients
May 05, 2014
Research demonstrates that lowering copayments for cardiovascular medications results in better adherence and outcomes among all patients, but until now, little was known about whether lowering copayments could improve known ...
Oft-assumed reasons for racial obesity disparities may not be only cause, study says
Apr 17, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Racial disparities in obesity rates among the third of U.S. adults considered obese are often blamed on socioeconomic status because of its influence on diet and physical activity, but ...
Social cocaine use more harmful than you think
Apr 29, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—In addition to recent high profile cocaine possession arrests and the Australian Crime Commission's Illicit Drug Data Report 2012-2013 being released today, University of Sydney research has found that ...
Socioeconomic status may explain racial disparities in diet, exercise, and weight
Nov 28, 2011
Large disparities exist in obesity and other chronic diseases across racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Are racial differences in diet, exercise, and weight status related to better knowledge about healthy eating ...
Education, finances affect risk of heart disease more for women than men
Mar 20, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Low levels of education and financial assets have long been linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease. But a new University of Michigan study shows that the association is much ...
Recommended for you
European hospitals compare notes on pain management to improve care
29 minutes ago
Comparing data between hospitals across Europe helps health care professionals better manage patients' pain.
Study finds women going through menopause need to be better supported at work
50 minutes ago
All women go through the menopause, and most women work, so how does the menopause affect women at work? This is the question asked by a group of researchers at La Trobe University and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. ...
Undocumented immigrants use fewer health services than US-born residents
3 hours ago
Undocumented immigrants in California see the doctor and visit emergency rooms significantly less often than U.S. citizens and documented immigrants, according to a study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy ...
GaitTrack app makes cellphone a medical monitor for heart, lung patients
3 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—By simply carrying around their cellphones, patients who suffer from chronic disease could soon have an accurate health monitor that warns their doctors when their symptoms worsen.
Racist attitudes and beliefs affect medical treatment of US minority groups
4 hours ago
Patients from minority ethnic groups in the US may be facing racist attitudes and beliefs that can unintentionally affect their treatment, a review of healthcare providers has found.
Coca-cola to cut controversial substance from beverages
5 hours ago
(HealthDay)—A controversial ingredient will be removed from many of Coca-Cola's citrus-flavored drinks, the company says.
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
by Stephanie Stephens
How a person defines their own socioeconomic standing (SES) within their community can help predict their risk of cardiovascular disease, but only among Whites, not Blacks, finds a recent study in Ethnicity and Disease.
"We know objective measures of SES like income, education, and occupation and how that influences cardiovascular disease risk can be 'measured' by an outsider, but we wondered about the influence when a person evaluates their own social standing, even as they struggle to meet basic needs," says lead study author Allyssa Allen, M.Ed., a doctoral candidate in human services psychology at the University of Maryland in Baltimore County.
The researchers used data from participants enrolled in the 2010 Baltimore-based, Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study. They calculated cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using the Framingham 10-year risk equation and analyzed SES using the MacArthur Scale of Subjective Social Status.
Allen and colleagues found that, as expected, lower social standing and lower self-rating were associated with higher CVD risk, but were surprised that this was true for Whites only. "We actually expected the opposite due to the influence of racial discrimination on perceived social standing and cardiovascular disease risk," she said. The findings persisted even after adjusting for poverty, body mass index, depression and the use of high blood pressure medication.
"People may rate social standing based upon how active they are in the community, the level of respect they receive, their material wealth, education, occupation, spiritual and ethical values and social responsibility—more than just income," Allen explained.
Allen suggests that clinicians could ask patients about their own perceptions of SES. "That opens the door to talk about how much difficulty they have getting to doctors' appointments, obtaining medication and eating healthy food. We might also use this assessment for CVD risk on a population level."
"The social environment in which we live has a critical impact on our health and well-being," said Susan Everson-Rose, Ph.D., M.P.H., an associate professor of medicine and associate director at the Center for Health Equity at the University of Minnesota. "This is true for men, women, children, and people of all racial or ethnic groups. This new study demonstrates that perceptions of one's place within the community social milieu may matter for heart health, perhaps more so for whites than for blacks. The social characteristics people consider when positioning themselves on the SES ladder likely vary widely so the reasons for the seeming race differences in this study are unknown."
Racial disparities retain a stubborn hold on public health outcomes, she said. "Within the U.S., black-white disparities in cardiovascular disease risk factors and outcomes have persisted despite advances in treatments, greater understanding of disease pathology and better access to health care. We need to do more work to understand how the social environment may play a role in these disparities."
Explore further: Eliminating copayments improves adherence, reduces adverse events in nonwhite patients
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Eliminating copayments improves adherence, reduces adverse events in nonwhite patients
May 05, 2014
Research demonstrates that lowering copayments for cardiovascular medications results in better adherence and outcomes among all patients, but until now, little was known about whether lowering copayments could improve known ...
Oft-assumed reasons for racial obesity disparities may not be only cause, study says
Apr 17, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Racial disparities in obesity rates among the third of U.S. adults considered obese are often blamed on socioeconomic status because of its influence on diet and physical activity, but ...
Social cocaine use more harmful than you think
Apr 29, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—In addition to recent high profile cocaine possession arrests and the Australian Crime Commission's Illicit Drug Data Report 2012-2013 being released today, University of Sydney research has found that ...
Socioeconomic status may explain racial disparities in diet, exercise, and weight
Nov 28, 2011
Large disparities exist in obesity and other chronic diseases across racial/ethnic groups in the United States. Are racial differences in diet, exercise, and weight status related to better knowledge about healthy eating ...
Education, finances affect risk of heart disease more for women than men
Mar 20, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Low levels of education and financial assets have long been linked to increased risks of cardiovascular disease. But a new University of Michigan study shows that the association is much ...
Recommended for you
European hospitals compare notes on pain management to improve care
29 minutes ago
Comparing data between hospitals across Europe helps health care professionals better manage patients' pain.
Study finds women going through menopause need to be better supported at work
50 minutes ago
All women go through the menopause, and most women work, so how does the menopause affect women at work? This is the question asked by a group of researchers at La Trobe University and Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. ...
Undocumented immigrants use fewer health services than US-born residents
3 hours ago
Undocumented immigrants in California see the doctor and visit emergency rooms significantly less often than U.S. citizens and documented immigrants, according to a study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy ...
GaitTrack app makes cellphone a medical monitor for heart, lung patients
3 hours ago
(Medical Xpress)—By simply carrying around their cellphones, patients who suffer from chronic disease could soon have an accurate health monitor that warns their doctors when their symptoms worsen.
Racist attitudes and beliefs affect medical treatment of US minority groups
4 hours ago
Patients from minority ethnic groups in the US may be facing racist attitudes and beliefs that can unintentionally affect their treatment, a review of healthcare providers has found.
Coca-cola to cut controversial substance from beverages
5 hours ago
(HealthDay)—A controversial ingredient will be removed from many of Coca-Cola's citrus-flavored drinks, the company says.
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment