ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PLASMA-FIBRINOGEN CONCENTRATION AND 5 SOCIOECONOMIC INDEXES IN THE KUOPIO ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE RISK FACTOR STUDY

The association between five socioeconomic indices (lifetime occupatio n, education, income, ownership of material possessions, and childhood socioeconomic status) and plasma fibrinogen levels was investigated i n middle-aged Finnish men who were part of the Kuopio Ischemic Heart D isease Risk Factor Study. The Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Facto r Study is based on a representative age-stratified sample of 2,682 me n aged 42, 48, 54, and 60 years. The data were collected between 1984 and 1989. The present analysis is restricted to the 2,011 men for whom information on fibrinogen and all covariates was available. The covar iates were alcohol consumption, body mass index, physical fitness, smo king, coffee consumption, high density lipoprotein cholesterol, low de nsity lipoprotein cholesterol, blood leukocyte count, and prevalent di sease (at least one sign of ischemic heart disease, hypertension, diab etes, or previous stroke). An age-adjusted inverse association was fou nd between levels of plasma fibrinogen and four of the five socioecono mic indices: current income, education, lifetime occupation status, an d current material possessions. After adjustment for the covariates, t he association persisted for education, current income, and lifetime o ccupation. Analysis of the joint effect of childhood and adult socioec onomic status indicated that those who were economically disadvantaged at both times had the highest fibrinogen levels, but the fibrinogen l evels of those who were not poor as adults had no variation by childho od socioeconomic status.