THE INTERPLAY OF SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS AND ETHNICITY ON HISPANIC AND WHITE MENS CARDIOVASCULAR-DISEASE RISK AND HEALTH COMMUNICATION PATTERNS

In this article, we seek to confirm past studies that document increas ed 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 inter active effects of ethnicity and education (our measure of socioeconomi c status) on CVD risk factors. Third, we examine how education and eth nicity are related to receiving health messages from print media and i nterpersonal channels, with the hypothesis that less educated, higher CVD risk Hispanic and White men receive fewer messages than more educa ted men. Finally, we examine other psychosocial variables (e,g, knowle dge, self-efficacy and motivation) that may help explain observed diff erences in CVD risk and health communication. The study sample include d 2029 men, 25-64 years of age, from three population-based, cross-sec tional surveys conducted from 1979 to 1990 as part of the Stanford Fiv e-City Project. Hispanic and White men with lower educational attainme nt had higher levels of CVD risk factors, and received less health inf ormation from print media and interpersonal channels than Hispanic and White men with higher educational attainment. Furthermore, less educa ted men from both ethnic groups reported less CVD knowledge, lower sel f-efficacy and lower motivation to reduce CVD risk factors than higher educated men. These results highlight the need for effective interven tion programs that target low educated Hispanic and White men to decre ase their disproportionate risk of CVD.