Beyond personal factors such as income, living in poorer and less closely-knit neighbourhoods may raise one's risks of underlying heart disease, starting as early as middle age.
Beyond personal factors such as income, living in poorer and less closely-knit neighbourhoods may raise one's risks of underlying heart disease, starting as early as middle age.
It was found that women were more likely to develop calcification in their heart arteries if they lived in deprived environments compared to women who lived in more well-to-do and cohesive neighbourhoods. Artery calcification is considered an early warning sign of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of arteries) that can increase the risk of heart attack.
Interest in social determinants of health has increased in recent years, partially in response to the obesity epidemic and the hunt for policies that could influence behavioural choices. Two recent reports on the subject, including one from the World Health Organization, highlight the importance of the context and conditions in which people are born, grow, live and work. The economic status of a neighbourhood may be linked to the availability of nutritious food and recreational areas for physical activity. And the social environment within that neighbourhood may impact human behaviour.
To study these social determinants, researchers looked at data from nearly 2,974 American adults (1,699 women, 1,275 men) aged between 32 and 50 years across four urban areas. The researchers linked participants' residential addresses from 1995 to 2000 census data. Calcification in the walls of arteries supplying blood to the heart was measured in 2005. About 11 percent of the women and 29 percent of the men had "silent" or asymptomatic, heart artery calcification.
After accounting for individual factors such as age, race and income, women living in the most deprived quarter of neighbourhoods (based on neighbourhood-level census indicators for income, education and occupation) had two and a half times the odds of heart artery calcification compared to those in the most well-to-do quarter. Similar comparisons among levels of neighbourhood unity - as rated by individuals' perception of how well their neighbours got along and trusted one another - left women at the bottom with nearly double the odds. Further adjustment for smoking and physical activity had little impact on the results. Men appeared to be less affected by their neighbourhood, with low unity only impacting men living in poor neighborhoods.
Why women are more sensitive to their local environment might have to do with the greater amount of time they spend in their neighbourhood. Women are more likely than men to work part-time and take on domestic roles such as raising a child.
It was found that women were more likely to develop calcification in their heart arteries if they lived in deprived environments compared to women who lived in more well-to-do and cohesive neighbourhoods. Artery calcification is considered an early warning sign of atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of arteries) that can increase the risk of heart attack.
Interest in social determinants of health has increased in recent years, partially in response to the obesity epidemic and the hunt for policies that could influence behavioural choices. Two recent reports on the subject, including one from the World Health Organization, highlight the importance of the context and conditions in which people are born, grow, live and work. The economic status of a neighbourhood may be linked to the availability of nutritious food and recreational areas for physical activity. And the social environment within that neighbourhood may impact human behaviour.
To study these social determinants, researchers looked at data from nearly 2,974 American adults (1,699 women, 1,275 men) aged between 32 and 50 years across four urban areas. The researchers linked participants' residential addresses from 1995 to 2000 census data. Calcification in the walls of arteries supplying blood to the heart was measured in 2005. About 11 percent of the women and 29 percent of the men had "silent" or asymptomatic, heart artery calcification.
After accounting for individual factors such as age, race and income, women living in the most deprived quarter of neighbourhoods (based on neighbourhood-level census indicators for income, education and occupation) had two and a half times the odds of heart artery calcification compared to those in the most well-to-do quarter. Similar comparisons among levels of neighbourhood unity - as rated by individuals' perception of how well their neighbours got along and trusted one another - left women at the bottom with nearly double the odds. Further adjustment for smoking and physical activity had little impact on the results. Men appeared to be less affected by their neighbourhood, with low unity only impacting men living in poor neighborhoods.
Why women are more sensitive to their local environment might have to do with the greater amount of time they spend in their neighbourhood. Women are more likely than men to work part-time and take on domestic roles such as raising a child.
COMMENT
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
