Abstract 12: Socioeconomic Correlates of Cardiovascular Disease Risk in African Americans: The Jackson Heart Study

Background: Research has found that socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, few studies have reported the SES correlates of CVD risk in African Americans (AA). Since low SES is over-represented in AA, our objective is to examine the socioeconomic correlates of CVD risk in this population, which may provide new insights on racial/ethnic disparities in CVD risk. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected in the Jackson Heart Study (JHS), an entirely AA population, was performed. Multivariable logistic regression analysis estimated the age and sex-adjusted association of SES indicators (education, household income and occupation) with prevalent CVD (myocardial infarction (MI), stroke and hypertension). Stratified analyses by age (<65 and ≥65 years) and sex were also performed. Additional analyses were performed using logistic models with a backward selection procedure that included age, sex, education, household income, occupation and burd...