Socioeconomic Status, Ethnicity, and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease1

This report focuses on the relationship of socioeconomic status (SES), race/ethnicity, and risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a large group of employed men. The authors determined the risk of CHD using the factors of blood pressure, cholesterol, and cigarette smoking in a multiple logistic model for 19,141 men aged 35--57 years, residing and employed in the Sacramento, CA, Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area. SES was measured by the modified two factor (education and occupation) Hollingshead Index. Information on education, occupation, race/ethnic group, and number of cigarettes smoked was derived from self-administered questionnaires. The data indicate an inverse relationship between SES and risk of CHD and the relationship persisted for whites, Asians, and Spanish Americans but not for blacks. Age adjustment did not significantly alter this finding.