Dietary intake, socioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease risk in African-American women

This study examined the dietary intake and socioeconomic factors that contr ibute to cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk among elderly, African- American women. Thirty-six African-American women between the ages of 57 to 77 year s of age were recruited from senior citizen centers and community dwellings for older persons in metropolitan Atlanta, GA. All participants completed detailed 3-day food records and an assessment questionnaire that included q uestions on past medical history, family medical history, socioeconomic sta tus (SES) and lifestyle practices. All participants were weighed and measur ed for height using calibrated scales. Resting blood pressure of all partic ipants was also measured. The majority of subjects had dietary intakes that did not meet the recommended dietary guidelines. Both current annual incom e and educational attainment were significantly correlated (p<0.05) with nu mber of CVD risk factors, educational attainment having the strongest relat ionship. These results suggest that SES may have a significant impact on th e risk of CVD in African-American women and imply that individuals with low educational attainment should be targeted for dietary intervention and edu cation as early as possible to prevent CVD. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Inc.