Ethnic disparities in prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular disease risk factors in rural Southwest China

Li Hui-Fang,Xu-Ming Wang,Allison Rabkin Golden,Le Cai

doi:10.1186/s12872-019-1185-1

Abstract

BackgroundThis study examines how prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors differ by ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) among rural southwest Chinese adults.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 7027 adults aged ≥35 years of Han and four ethnic minority group descent (Na Xi, Li Shu, Dai, and Jing Po) was used to derive prevalence of tobacco smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) as well as alcohol consumption and physical activity data. Anthropometric measurements were also taken, including height, weight, and waist and hip circumference, as well as blood pressure (BP) and fasting blood glucose (FBG) measurements.ResultsCurrent smoking and drinking status were the top two CVD risk factors in the study population. Dai ethnic minority participants had the highest prevalence of hypertension, obesity, and central obesity, whereas Jing Po ethnic minority participants had the highest prevalence of current smoking status, SHS exposure, and current drinking status (P < 0.01). Han participants had the highest prevalence of diabetes and physical inactivity (P < 0.01). 11.1% of all participants did not have any of the studied CVD risk factors, while 68.6% of Han, 60.2% of Na Xi, 50.7% of Li Shu, 82.2% of Dai, and 73.0% of Jing Po participants had clustering of two or more CVD risk factors. Prevalence of CVD risk factor clusters increased with age (P < 0.01). Males and individuals with lower education levels and lower annual household income were more likely to have CVD risk factors than their counterparts (P < 0.01).ConclusionClustering of CVD risk factors is common in rural southwest China. Ethnicity and individual SES significantly impact prevalence of CVD risk factors and their clustering.

Highlights

This study examines how prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors differ by ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) among rural southwest Chinese adults
Dai participants had both the highest overall and sex-specific prevalence rates of obesity, central obesity, and hypertension (P < 0.01), whereas Jing Po ethnic minority participants had both highest overall and sex-specific prevalence rates of current smoking, secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, and current drinking levels (P < 0.05). Both sexes of Han participants had the highest prevalence of diabetes and physical inactivity (P < 0.01), whereas the lowest prevalence rates of diabetes, hypertension, physical inactivity, obesity, and central obesity were found, for both sexes, in the Li Shu population (P < 0.01)
A total of 7500 individuals aged ≥35 years were invited to participate in the present study from name lists of eligible individuals obtained from township leaders from the 15 townships

Summary

Introduction

This study examines how prevalence and clustering of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors differ by ethnicity and socioeconomic status (SES) among rural southwest Chinese adults. In China, rapid economic growth, an aging population, and lifestyle changes in the last two decades have caused both the morbidity and mortality of CVD to rise rapidly [3]. This rise is projected to persist, with an estimated annual increase of 21.3 million CVD events and. The majority of CVD risk factors are related to lifestyle and potentially modifiable and controllable [5, 6]. Previous Chinese studies indicate that CVD risk factor clusters are common in China and that the prevalence of CVD risk factors has increased rapidly [9, 10], translating into a future increase in CVD burden in China [11]

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