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Biomedical subjects

E Regidor

Publications and source records attributed to E Regidor.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Influence of childhood socioeconomic circumstances, height, and obesity on pulse pressure and systolic and diastolic blood pressure in older people.

This study assesses the association of childhood socioeconomic circumstances, height, and obesity with components of blood pressure. We selected 4009 people representative of the Spanish population aged 60 years and older, and estimated systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse pressure (PP) according to childhood social class, height, and obesity. No association was found between childhood social class and blood pressure. SBP showed an inverse gradient and DBP a direct gradient with height, although an independent association between height and DBP was found only in women. Stature was independently associated with increased DBP in women with central obesity, but there was no association between height and DBP in women without central obesity. Short stature was independently associated with increased PP. Body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio were independently associated with increased DBP in women, and waist-to-hip ratio was independently associated with increased PP in men, while waist circumference was independently associated with increased DBP and increased PP in women. These results do not support the assumed effect of socioeconomic circumstances in early life on blood pressure, which may depend on the context and/or study population. The relations observed between height and blood pressure support the hypothesis that PP could be a mediator of the association between short stature and increased cardiovascular risk. The relationship between obesity measures and components of blood pressure reinforces the recommendation to reduce body weight in order to reduce blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Socioeconomic status and ischaemic heart disease mortality in 10 western European populations during the 1990s.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between socioeconomic status and ischaemic heart disease (IHD) mortality in 10 western European populations during the 1990s. DESIGN: Longitudinal study. SETTING: 10 European populations (95,009,822 person years). METHODS: Longitudinal data on IHD mortality by educational level were obtained from registries in Finland, Norway, Denmark, England/Wales, Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Turin (Italy), Barcelona (Spain), and Madrid (Spain). Age standardised rates and rate ratios (RRs) of IHD mortality by educational level were calculated by using Poisson regression. RESULTS: IHD mortality was higher in those with a lower socioeconomic status than in those with a higher socioeconomic status among men aged 30-59 (RR 1.55, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.51 to 1.60) and 60 years and over (RR 1.22, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.24), and among women aged 30-59 (RR 2.13, 95% CI 1.98 to 2.29) and 60 years and over (RR 1.36, 95% CI 1.33 to 1.38). Socioeconomic disparities in IHD mortality were larger in the Scandinavian countries and England/Wales, of moderate size in Belgium, Switzerland, and Austria, and smaller in southern European populations among men and younger women (p < 0.0001). For elderly women the north-south gradient was smaller and there was less variation between populations. No socioeconomic disparities in IHD mortality existed among elderly men in southern Europe. CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic disparities in IHD mortality were larger in northern than in southern European populations during the 1990s. This partly reflects the pattern of socioeconomic disparities in cardiovascular risk factors in Europe. Population wide strategies to reduce risk factor prevalence combined with interventions targeted at the lower socioeconomic groups can contribute to reduce IHD mortality in Europe.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Socioeconomic differences in the prevalence of common chronic diseases: an overview of eight European countries.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have compared socioeconomic inequalities in the prevalence of both fatal and non-fatal diseases. This paper aims to give the first international overview for several common chronic diseases. METHODS: Micro-level data were pooled from non-standardized national health surveys conducted in eight European countries in the 1990s. Surveys ranged in size from 3700 to 41 200 participants. The prevalence of 17 chronic disease groups were analysed in relation to education. Standardized prevalence rates and age-adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated. RESULTS: Most diseases showed higher prevalence among the lower education group. Stroke, diseases of the nervous system, diabetes, and arthritis displayed relatively large inequalities (OR > 1.50). No socioeconomic differences were evident for cancer, kidney diseases, and skin diseases. Allergy was more common in the higher education group. Relative socioeconomic differences were often smaller among the 60-79 age group as compared with the 25-59 age group. Cancer was more prevalent among the lower educated in the 25-59 age group, but among the higher educated in the 60-79 age group. For diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease, socioeconomic differences were larger among women as compared with men. Inequalities in heart disease were larger in northern European countries as compared with southern European countries. CONCLUSION: There are large variations between chronic diseases in the size and pattern of socioeconomic differences in their prevalence. The large inequalities that are found for some specific fatal diseases (e.g. stroke) and non-fatal diseases (e.g. arthritis) require special attention in equity-oriented research and policies.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Education level inequalities and transportation injury mortality in the middle aged and elderly in European settings.

OBJECTIVE: To study the differential distribution of transportation injury mortality by educational level in nine European settings, among people older than 30 years, during the 1990s. METHODS: Deaths of men and women older than 30 years from transportation injuries were studied. Rate differences and rate ratios (RR) between high and low educational level rates were obtained. RESULTS: Among men, those of low educational level had higher death rates in all settings, a pattern that was maintained in the different settings; no inequalities were found among women. Among men, in all the settings, the RR was higher in the 30-49 age group (RR 1.46, 95% CI 1.32 to 1.61) than in the age groups 50-69 and > or = 70 years, a pattern that was maintained in the different settings. For women for all the settings together, no differences were found among educational levels in the three age groups. In the different settings, only three had a high RR in the youngest age group, Finland (RR 1.33, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.74), Belgium (RR 1.38; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.67), and Austria (RR 1.49, 95% CI 0.75 to 2.96). CONCLUSION: This study provides new evidence on the importance of socioeconomic inequalities in transportation injury mortality across Europe. This applies to men, but not to women. Greater attention should be placed on opportunities to select intervention strategies tailored to tackle socioeconomic inequalities in transportation injuries.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed2005

Neighbourhood unemployment and all cause mortality: a comparison of six countries.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Studies have shown that living in more deprived neighbourhoods is related to higher mortality rates, independent of individual socioeconomic characteristics. One approach that contributes to understanding the processes underlying this association is to examine whether the relation is modified by the country context. In this study, the size of the association between neighbourhood unemployment rates and all cause mortality was compared across samples from six countries (United States, Netherlands, England, Finland, Italy, and Spain). DESIGN: Data from three prospective cohort studies (ARIC (US), GLOBE (Netherlands), and Whitehall II (England)) and three population based register studies (Helsinki, Turin, Madrid) were analysed. In each study, neighbourhood unemployment rates were derived from census, register based data. Cox proportional hazard models, taking into account the possible correlation of outcomes among people of the same neighbourhood, were used to assess the associations between neighbourhood unemployment and all cause mortality, adjusted for education and occupation at the individual level. RESULTS: In men, after adjustment for age, education, and occupation, living in the quartile of neighbourhoods with the highest compared with the lowest unemployment rates was associated with increased hazards of mortality (14%-46%), although for the Whitehall II study associations were not statistically significant. Similar patterns were found in women, but associations were not statistically significant in two of the five studies that included women. CONCLUSIONS: Living in more deprived neighbourhoods is associated with increased all cause mortality in the US and five European countries, independent of individual socioeconomic characteristics. There is no evidence that country substantially modified this association.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Obesity and socioeconomic position measured at three stages of the life course in the elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between socioeconomic position, measured at three stages of the life course, and obesity in the elderly. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study carried out in 2000-2001. SUBJECTS: In total, 4009 subjects aged 60 y and older, representative of the Spanish noninstitutionalised population. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: We estimated body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) by social class in childhood, by educational level and by adult social class, as well as the association between these two obesity measures and each socioeconomic characteristic after adjusting for the other two. RESULTS: In men, no relation was found between the two measures of obesity studied and socioeconomic circumstances throughout the life course. Nor was any relation found in women between social class in childhood and the two measures of obesity after adjusting for the other two socioeconomic variables. In contrast, BMI and WC in women showed a statistically significant inverse gradient with educational level and with adult social class after adjusting for age and the rest of the socioeconomic variables. CONCLUSIONS: In general, these results support the small amount of existing evidence on the association between obesity and abdominal obesity and socioeconomic position by educational level and adult social class. The results for social class in childhood do not support the existing evidence, and suggest that this association may depend on specific historic and cultural circumstances.

Abdomen↗
PubMed2004

Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality among elderly people in 11 European populations.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To describe mortality inequalities related to education and housing tenure in 11 European populations and to describe the age pattern of relative and absolute socioeconomic inequalities in mortality in the elderly European population. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data from mortality registries linked with population census data of 11 countries and regions of Europe were acquired for the beginning of the 1990s. Indicators of socioeconomic status were educational level and housing tenure. The study determined mortality rate ratios, relative indices of inequality (RII), and mortality rate differences. The age range was 30 to 90+ years. Analyses were performed on the pooled European data, including all populations, and on the data of populations separately. Data were included from Finland, Norway, Denmark, England and Wales, Belgium, France, Austria, Switzerland, Barcelona, Madrid, and Turin. MAIN RESULTS: In Europe (populations pooled) relative inequalities in mortality decreased with increasing age, but persisted. Absolute educational mortality differences increased until the ages 90+. In some of the populations, relative inequalities among older women were as large as those among middle aged women. The decline of relative educational inequalities was largest in Norway (men and women) and Austria (men). Relative educational inequalities did not decrease, or hardly decreased with age in England and Wales (men), Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, and Turin (women). CONCLUSIONS: Socioeconomic inequalities in mortality among older men and women were found to persist in each country, sometimes of similar magnitude as those among the middle aged. Mortality inequalities among older populations are an important public health problem in Europe.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Paternal exposure to agricultural pesticides and cause specific fetal death.

AIMS: To study the association between fetal death and paternal agricultural occupation in areas and time periods with different levels of use of agricultural pesticides. METHODS: A total of 1 473 146 stillbirths and births occurring in Spain between 1995 and 1999 were analysed. RESULTS: The offspring of agricultural workers had the highest risk of fetal death from congenital anomalies in the southern and eastern area (where pesticide use is greatest) and the lowest risk in the rest of Spain. In both areas the offspring of agricultural workers had a similar excess risk of fetal death from the remaining causes of death. The relative risk of fetal death from congenital anomalies in infants conceived between April and September (the months of greater use of pesticides) in the southern and eastern area was 0.90 in manual workers and 1.62 in agricultural workers, compared to non-manual workers; in individuals who were conceived during the rest of the year, the relative risk was 0.87 and 0.85, respectively. In both periods the offspring of agricultural workers had an excess risk of fetal death from the remaining causes of death. CONCLUSIONS: Paternal agricultural work in the areas where pesticides are massively used increases the risk of fetal death from congenital anomalies. The risk is also increased for fetuses conceived during the time periods of maximum use of pesticides The higher risk of fetal death from the remaining causes of death in the offspring of agricultural workers seems unrelated to pesticide exposure.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗
PubMed2002

The size of obesity differences associated with educational level in Spain, 1987 and 1995/97.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the size of obesity differences associated with educational level in the adult population in Spain. DESIGN: Three cross sectional studies representative of the adult population in Spain were carried out in 1987, 1995, and 1997. SETTING: The general population in Spain. PARTICIPANTS: 11 461 men and 10 219 women aged 25 to 64 years. MAIN RESULTS: For both men and women the obesity prevalence was highest in those with elementary education. In 1987 the obesity prevalence proportion associated with less than third level education (PA) was 24.5% (95% CI 6.0 to 42.8) and 47.9% (15.7 to 71.8) in men and women, respectively. The PAs in 1995/97 were 19.8% (0.2 to 40.2) and 55.1% (21.3 to 72.8). CONCLUSIONS: In 1995/97 the burden of obesity associated with less than third level education was 20% in men and 55% in women aged 25 to 64 years. Between 1987 and 1997 the obesity prevalence proportion associated with less than third level education increased in women and decreased in men.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

[Mortality by social and economic characteristics: The Mortality Study of the Autonomous Community of Madrid].

BACKGROUND: To estimate the effect of marital status, household size, employment status, educational level and occupation on mortality. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: About 3,100,000 persons 24 years and older resident on first of May, 1996 in Autonomous Community of Madrid. For the next 19 months information on individuals who died were obtained by linking Mortality Register and 1996 Population Census. RESULTS: Except for household size, the effect on mortality of characteristics analysed was higher in individuals aged 25 to 44 years than in other group of age. In general, married persons had the lowest mortality, except for men older than 64 years where the lowest mortality was found in the never married category. Men aged 45 to 64 years who lived alone had higher mortality than those who lived with other people, while mortality in people aged older than 64 years increased with household size. Inactive persons had higher mortality than active people. Higher education level and higher skilled occupation were associated with lower mortality, except for women aged 45 to 64 years. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified population groups associated with increased risk of mortality. Monitoring the trend of mortality in those groups will make possible to found the rational basis to implement social and health programmes.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Trends in cigarette smoking in Spain by social class.

OBJECTIVE: . The aim of this study was to evaluate smoking trends among Spanish men and women by social class between 1987 and 1997. METHODS: We used secondary analysis of the National Health Interview Surveys of 1987, 1993, 1995, and 1997. The main outcome measures were prevalence of smoking, smoking cessation activity (quit ratio), and smoking initiation in the manual and nonmanual social class in each year and smoking prevalence ratio, smoking cessation ratio, and smoking initiation ratio in 1997 versus 1987 in each social class. RESULTS: Among men ages 25 years and older the prevalence of smoking in both the manual and the nonmanual social class decreased between 1987 and 1997 in all age groups, and the relative magnitude of the decrease was always greater in the nonmanual social class. In contrast, among women the prevalence of smoking increased in both social classes: in the 25- to 44-year age group the smoking prevalence ratios in 1997 versus 1987 were 1.20 in the nonmanual social class and 1.61 in the manual social class, while in the 45- to 64-year age group the prevalence ratios were 2.52 and 2.15, respectively. The quit rate among men increased in both social classes in all age groups between 1987 and 1997; in contrast, among women the quit rate increased only among those ages 25 to 44 years in the nonmanual social class. Smoking prevalence for people ages 16 to 24 years--smoking initiation--decreased among men and women between 1987 and 1997 in both social classes. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking trends in Spain by social class have differed among men and women. The findings are considered in the context of policies and programs aimed at reducing smoking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Educational differences in health expectancy in Madrid and Barcelona.

Educational differences in Health Expectancy (HE) among residents older than 24 years of age in Madrid and Barcelona are evaluated. Death records were linked to the 1991 Population Census and self-perceived health from the National Health Interview Survey was used. Differences between the higher and the lower educational groups in HE at 25 years were: 7.5 years in men and 5.58 years in women in Madrid and 9.5 years in men and 13.4 years in women in Barcelona. Since HE combines mortality and health status, results presented may have important implications for health policy.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Social inequalities in ischaemic heart and cerebrovascular disease mortality in men: Spain and France, 1980-1982 and 1988-1990.

In this study we analyse the trend in socio-economic differences in mortality from ischaemic heart and cerebrovascular diseases in the economically active male population aged 25-64 years in Spain and France. The data used were taken from deaths from these two causes in 1980-1982 and 1988-1990; in the case of Spain the data came from the Eight Provinces Study. Individuals were grouped into four categories - professional/managerial, clerical/sales/service workers, farmers, and manual workers - and the mortality rate ratio was estimated with reference to the professional/managerial group. For ischaemic heart disease in 1980-1982, professionals and managers aged 25-44 years had the lowest risk of mortality in Spain, and the highest risk of mortality in France; in 1988-1990 the socioeconomic differences in mortality in Spain increased, whereas the relation was inverted in France. In 1980-1982, professionals and managers aged 45-64 years had higher mortality from ischaemic heart disease than the other occupational groups in both countries; in 1988-1990 this relation was inverted, except in the case of clerical/sales/service workers in Spain. For cerebrovascular disease, manual workers experienced the highest mortality in the 25-44 year age group in 1980-1982, and the differences increased in 1988-1990 in all groups with respect to professionals and managers in both places. Professionals and managers in France and manual workers in Spain had the highest mortality between 45 and 64 years in 1980-1982; in contrast, in 1988-1990 professionals and managers had the lowest risk of mortality from this disease in both Spain and France, although in Spain the magnitude was similar to that of clerical/sales/service workers. In general terms, mortality from each disease was different in professionals and managers than in clerical/sales/service workers. Thus, the pattern of mortality and its evolution in different socio-economic groups cannot be analysed accurately when the two occupational groups are combined in a single large group of non-manual workers.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

[Incidence of dental caries in a child population from Mostoles: evaluation of a preventive program after 2 years].

OBJECTIVE: To know the efficacy and effectivity od dental health program after 2 years. DESIGN: The study of prospective cohorts not aleatorized. POPULATION AND METHODS: The exposed cohort is composed of 583 school children, 296 girls and 287 boys, the non-exposed cohort is composed of 261 school children, 132 girls and 129 boys. We carried out and odontological exploration following the criteria of the WHO the preventive measures we carried out are health education, weekly mouthrinse of NaFl at 0.2%, occlusive sealant in the first permanent molar and external application fluorine gel. We measured and compared the different indexes of tooth decay and sociodemographic variables between both cohorts, the statistic meaning has been determined through the U est of Mann Whitney. RESULTS: We have found statistically significant differences between both cohorts in the indexes of decay in the exposed cohorts. The indexes of decay in the exposed cohort being DMFT: 0.31; DMFM (first permanent molar): 0.31; DMFS: 0.4. And in the non-exposed cohort DMFT: 0.81; DMFM: 0.81; DMFS; 1.09. Existing an epidemiological association between the preventive program and the prevention of dental decay with a relative risk of 0.24 (95% CI, 0.17-0.33) and the prevention fraction of 76.3% (95% CI, 67-83). CONCLUSIONS: The preventive program after two years elapsed is effective and has a clear protector effect.

Child↗
PubMed2000

Educational differences in smoking: international comparison.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate international variations in smoking associated with educational level. DESIGN: International comparison of national health, or similar, surveys. SUBJECTS: Men and women aged 20 to 44 years and 45 to 74 years. SETTING: 12 European countries, around 1990. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Relative differences (odds ratios) and absolute differences in the prevalence of ever smoking and current smoking for men and women in each age group by educational level. RESULTS: In the 45 to 74 year age group, higher rates of current and ever smoking among lower educated subjects were found in some countries only. Among women this was found in Great Britain, Norway, and Sweden, whereas an opposite pattern, with higher educated women smoking more, was found in southern Europe. Among men a similar north-south pattern was found but it was less noticeable than among women. In the 20 to 44 year age group, educational differences in smoking were generally greater than in the older age group, and smoking rates were higher among lower educated people in most countries. Among younger women, a similar north-south pattern was found as among older women. Among younger men, large educational differences in smoking were found for northern European as well as for southern European countries, except for Portugal. CONCLUSIONS: These international variations in social gradients in smoking, which are likely to be related to differences between countries in their stage of the smoking epidemic, may have contributed to the socioeconomic differences in mortality from ischaemic heart disease being greater in northern European countries. The observed age patterns suggest that socioeconomic differences in diseases related to smoking will increase in the coming decades in many European countries.

Adult↗