Socio-economic status and prevention of cardiovascular disease in Italy: evidence from a national health survey

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death and disability in the world. Many cardiovascular risk factors can be prevented. We assessed whether socio-economic factors are associated with individual preventive behaviours in Italy. METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of 47,391 adults aged 40-69 years was undertaken using 2004-05 National Health Interview Survey data. Logistic regression models were developed to assess the association between socio-economic status (SES) and regular monitoring of blood pressure, cholesterol, body mass index and glycaemia. SES was estimated according to education and occupation. RESULTS: SES was significantly associated with regular monitoring of risk factors for CVD. The most educated were more likely to monitor cholesterol levels than those with less education men odds ratio (OR) 1.64, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46-1.86; women OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.19-1.55. Individuals in the highest occupational class controlled weight more frequently than those disadvantaged with an OR of 1.24 (95% CI 1.04-1.49) for men and an OR of 1.26 (95% CI 1.12-1.42) for women. CONCLUSION: Socio-economic disparities in the prevention of risk factors for CVD were clearly observed among Italian adults, generally favouring higher socio-economic groups.