We tested two competing hypotheses-relative social position and community resources-in regards to their effect on two co-occurring health problems (depression, and obesity) in a sample of smokers participating in an online smoking cessation intervention. Income and education data at the zip code level from the 2000 Census was linked with individual level data. Logistic regression models were us...

OBJECTIVE Physical inactivity is associated with increased risk of mortality and chronic diseases, yet trend information is lacking in most countries. This investigation examines physical activity levels of Canadian adults aged 18 years and older. METHODS Data were collected in six national surveys between 1981 and 2000. Sample sizes ranged from 2,500 to 18,000. Prevalences were tested using ...

We investigated the relation of educational attainment and annual household income to cognitive function and cognitive decline in community-dwelling women aged 66 years or older. Subjects were 6,314 health professionals participating in the Women's Health Study, among whom information on education and income was self-reported. From 1998 to 2000, we administered five cognitive tests, measuring g...

Obesity prevalence is rapidly increasing in developing countries. Existing research investigating social patterning of obesity and its risk factors in Latin American urban contexts has inconsistent findings. This study analyzed a multistage household survey in adults in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Marginal models were used to examine the association of education and household an...

The Impact of Parental Income and Education on the Health of their Children * This paper investigates the robustness of recent findings on the effect of parental background on child health. We are particularly concerned with the extent to which their finding that income effects on child health are the result of spurious correlation rather than some causal mechanism. A similar argument can be ma...

OBJECTIVES To identify gender-specific associations between education and income in relation to obesity in developed countries by considering both the interaction-effect terms of the independent variables and their main-effect terms. DESIGN A cross-sectional study. Education and income levels were chosen as socioeconomic status indicators. Sociodemographics, lifestyles and medical conditions ...

BACKGROUND No previous studies have examined the interplay among socioeconomic status, sex, and race with the risk of atrial fibrillation (AF). METHODS AND RESULTS We prospectively followed 14 352 persons (25% black, 75% white, 55% women, mean age 54 years) who were free of AF and participating in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Socioeconomic status was assessed at basel...

The economic pie has seen growth, despite the recessions of the past decade, and has resulted in an increase in the total income level. At the same time, increasing national healthcare spending due to the high costs of medical research and development paired with a growing and aging population has become prevalent in most nations. Healthcare costs (HCs) are a significant factor that influences ...