Effect of race and socioeconomic status on cardiovascular risk factor burden: the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study

This study examines the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and chronic disease burden among African Americans compared to Caucasians in a population of higher socioeconomic status. The current study is a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. Patient...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inEthnicity & disease Vol. 23; no. 1; p. 35
Main Authors Frierson, Georita M, Howard, Erica N, DeFina, Laura E, Powell-Wiley, Tiffany M, Willis, Benjamin L
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.2013
Subjects
Adult
Cardiovascular Diseases - epidemiology
Cardiovascular Diseases - ethnology
Diabetes Mellitus - epidemiology
Female
Humans
Hyperlipidemias - epidemiology
Hypertension - epidemiology
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Middle Aged
Obesity - epidemiology
Plants, Medicinal
Risk Factors
Social Class
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Summary:This study examines the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and chronic disease burden among African Americans compared to Caucasians in a population of higher socioeconomic status. The current study is a cross-sectional, secondary data analysis of the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study. Patients with a medical examination from 1970-2010 at the Cooper Clinic. 762 African Americans and 40,051 Caucasians who met the criteria. Racial differences in cardiovascular risk factors/burden of disease between African Americans and Caucasians. African Americans had higher prevalence of evaluated cardiovascular risk factors than did Caucasians after controlling for obesity, tobacco use, and physical fitness. Caucasians had greater likelihood of no risk factors while African Americans were more likely to have all three risk factors. Race was typically predictive of cardiovascular risk factors in African Americans compared to Caucasians. Findings suggest that health differences persist despite greater socioeconomic status, and further investigations of biopsychosocial causes are warranted.
ISSN:1049-510X