The interplay of socioeconomic status and ethnicity on Hispanic and white men's cardiovascular disease risk and health communication patterns.

Abstract

In this article, we seek to confirm past studies that document increased levels of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among White men with lower educational attainment. Second, we include a population of Hispanic men (89% Mexican American) to examine the separate and interactive effects of ethnicity and education (our measure of socioeconomic status) on CVD risk factors. Third, we examine how education and ethnicity are related to receiving health messages from print media and interpersonal channels, with the hypothesis that less educated, higher CVD risk Hispanic and White men receive fewer messages than more educated men. Finally, we examine other psychosocial variables (e.g. knowledge, self-efficacy and motivation) that may help explain observed differences in CVD risk and health communication. The study sample included 2029 men, 25-64 years of age, from three population-based, cross-sectional surveys conducted from 1979 to 1990 as part of the Stanford Five-City Project. Hispanic and White men with lower educational attainment had higher levels of CVD risk factors, and received less health information from print media and interpersonal channels than Hispanic and White men with higher educational attainment. Furthermore, less educated men from both ethnic groups reported less CVD knowledge, lower self-efficacy and lower motivation to reduce CVD risk factors than higher educated men. These results highlight the need for effective intervention programs that target low educated Hispanic and White men to decrease their disproportionate risk of CVD.