Table 1
Cardiovascular risk factors in men by educational attainment.
| PRIMARY EDUCATION (N = 100) | SECONDARY EDUCATION (N = 199) | UNIVERSITY EDUCATION (N = 151) | p-VALUE | p FOR TREND | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 53 (11) | 49 (10) | 49 (10) | 0.005 | 0.013 |
| Smoker, n (%) | 34 (34.0) | 52 (26.1) | 37 (24.7) | 0.233 | — |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg), mean (SD) | 122 (14) | 118 (14) | 117 (16) | 0.062 | 0.058 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg), mean (SD) | 78 (9) | 77 (10) | 77 (10) | 0.637 | — |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 46 (46.9) | 60 (30.5) | 54 (36.0) | 0.021 | 0.152 |
| Treated hypertension*, n (%) | 21 (45.6) | 23 (38.3) | 22 (40.7) | 0.083 | — |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 150 (37) | 137 (35) | 131 (31) | 0.002 | <0.001 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 49 (11) | 50 (10) | 50 (10) | 0.846 | — |
| Hypercholesterolemia, n (%) | 90 (90.0) | 155 (77.9) | 115 (77.7) | 0.025 | 0.027 |
| Treated hypercholesterolemia*, n (%) | 13 (14.4) | 12 (7.7) | 12 (10.4) | 0.116 | — |
| Glycemia (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 97 [90;105] | 93 [89;100] | 93 [88;100] | 0.098 | — |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 17 (17.2) | 15 (7.6) | 13 (8.8) | 0.029 | 0.059 |
| Treated diabetes*, n (%) | 11 (64.7) | 6 (40.0) | 5 (38.5) | 0.012 | 0.012 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 28.1 (4.7) | 26.6 (3.6) | 27.1 (4.2) | 0.019 | 0.081 |
| Overweight/Obesity, n (%) | 76 (76.0) | 121 (60.8) | 99 (65.6) | 0.033 | 0.156 |
| Mediterranean diet score, mean (SD) | 6.3 (1.8) | 6.8 (2.0) | 7.3 (2.1) | 0.001 | <0.001 |
| Adherence to Mediterranean diet score (≥9 points), n (%) | 13 (13.0) | 41 (20.6) | 42 (27.8) | 0.018 | 0.005 |
| Energy expenditure in physical activity (kcal/day), median (IQR) | 2273 [923;4443] | 2490 [1073;3930] | 1944 [1073;3360] | 0.304 | — |
| Physical inactivity, n (%) | 30 (30.0) | 42 (21.1) | 37 (24.5) | 0.237 | — |
[i] IQR: Interquartile range. SD: Standard deviation.
*For individuals diagnosed.
Figure 1
Age-adjusted associations between educational attainment and levels of cardiovascular risk factors in men and women.
Estimates represent β coefficients and 95% CIs from linear regression models adjusted for age. Educational attainment is categorized as primary, secondary, and university education (reference group: primary education). Positive β coefficients indicate higher levels of the risk factor compared with the reference group.
Figure 2
Age-adjusted associations between educational attainment and prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in men and women.
Estimates are odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs obtained from logistic regression models adjusted for age. Educational attainment is categorized as primary, secondary, and university education (reference group: primary education). ORs <1 indicate lower odds of the outcome compared with the reference group, whereas ORs >1 indicate higher odds.
Table 2
Cardiovascular risk factors in women by educational attainment.
| PRIMARY EDUCATION (N = 116) | SECONDARY EDUCATION (N = 197) | UNIVERSITY EDUCATION (N = 180) | p-VALUE | p FOR TREND | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years), mean (SD) | 55 (11) | 52 (10) | 46 (8) | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Smoker, n (%) | 25 (20.9) | 36 (18.3) | 30 (16.7) | 0.661 | — |
| Systolic blood pressure (mmHg), mean (SD) | 111 (17) | 107 (17) | 101 (12) | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure (mmHg), mean (SD) | 75 (11) | 72 (11) | 69 (9) | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Hypertension, n (%) | 36 (31.0) | 38 (19.4) | 17 (9.6) | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Treated hypertension*, n (%) | 22 (61.1) | 16 (42.1) | 8 (47.1) | <0.001 | 0.001 |
| LDL cholesterol (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 138 (33) | 132 (32) | 126 (28) | 0.014 | 0.003 |
| HDL cholesterol (mg/dL), mean (SD) | 58 (14) | 60 (12) | 60 (13) | 0.464 | — |
| Hypercholesterolemia, n (%) | 97 (83.6) | 146 (74.5) | 120 (67.0) | 0.006 | 0.002 |
| Treated hypercholesterolemia*, n (%) | 18 (18.6) | 16 (11.0) | 6 (5.0) | 0.001 | <0.001 |
| Glycemia (mg/dL), median (IQR) | 92 [84;98] | 90 [84;97] | 87 [83;93] | 0.008 | 0.003 |
| Diabetes, n (%) | 9 (8.1) | 10 (5.2) | 4 (2.3) | 0.077 | 0.024 |
| Treated diabetes*, n (%) | 7 (77.8) | 5 (50.0) | 1 (25.0) | 0.014 | 0.005 |
| Body mass index (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 27.9 (5.4) | 25.9 (4.5) | 24.6 (4.2) | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Overweight/Obesity, n (%) | 81 (69.8) | 99 (50.3) | 68 (37.8) | <0.001 | <0.001 |
| Mediterranean diet score, mean (SD) | 6.7 (1.9) | 7.2 (2.0) | 7.3 (1.8) | 0.018 | 0.011 |
| Adherence to Mediterranean diet score (≥9 points), n (%) | 19 (16.4) | 44 (22.3) | 42 (23.3) | 0.325 | — |
| Energy expenditure in physical activity (kcal/day), median (IQR) | 1762 [846; 2825] | 1809 [917; 2821] | 1599 [811; 2481] | 0.458 | — |
| Physical inactivity, n (%) | 52 (44.8) | 77 (39.1) | 61 (33.9) | 0.165 | — |
[i] IQR: Interquartile range. SD: Standard deviation.