Key result
Higher income and education linked to lower SBP in all groups except Hispanic men.
Why the study?
To examine the association between socioeconomic status and resting systolic blood pressure, evaluate potential moderation by race and gender, and assess whether BMI, waist circumference, and smoking explain this relationship.
Is socioeconomic status associated with resting systolic blood pressure across different race and gender groups?
Observational (n=28,891)
Yes
Is socioeconomic status associated with resting systolic blood pressure across different race and gender groups?
Higher socioeconomic status is associated with lower resting systolic blood pressure in most race and gender groups, highlighting the need to address social disparities in cardiovascular health.
May inform equitable BP monitoring in lower-SES groups; leaves open causality and subgroup-specific interventions.
The present study used harmonized data from eight studies (N = 28,891) to examine the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and resting systolic blood pressure (SBP). The study replicates and extends our prior work on this topic by examining potential moderation of this association by race and gender. We also examined the extent to which body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and smoking might explain the association between SES and SBP. Data were available from six race/gender groups: 9200 Black women; 2337 Black men; 7248 White women; 6519 White men; 2950 Hispanic women; and 637 Hispanic men. Multivariable regression models showed that greater annual household income was associated with lower SBP in all groups except Hispanic men. The magnitude and form of this negative association differed across groups, with White women showing the strongest linear negative association. Among Black men and Hispanic women, the association was curvilinear: relatively flat among lower income levels, but then negative among higher income ranges. Education also was independently, negatively related to SBP, though evidence was weaker for race and gender differences in the strength of the association. Higher BMI and WC were associated with higher SBP, and current smoking with lower SBP. Inclusion of these risk factors resulted in only a modest change in the magnitude of the SBP and SES relation, accounting on average about 0.4 mmHg of the effect of income and 0.2 mmHg of the effect of education-effects unlikely to be clinically significant. Further understanding of mechanisms underlying the association between SBP and SES may improve risk stratification in clinical settings and potentially inform interventions aimed at reductions in social disparities in health.
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Brummett et al. (2019) conducted an observational in Systolic blood pressure (n=28,891). Socioeconomic status (income and education) vs. Lower socioeconomic status was evaluated on Resting systolic blood pressure (SBP). Higher annual household income and education were associated with lower systolic blood pressure in all groups except Hispanic men, with the strongest linear negative association in White women.
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