A psychosocial comparison of 35- and 55-year-old men and women in Sweden and Estonia: The Swestonia cardiovascular risk factor study

During the past decade, the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) has d eclined in the United States and in Western Europe, but has increased in Ea stern Europe and in many non-European countries. This study is a baseline c omparison of psychosocial factors in a random sample of 35-year-old and 55- year-old men and women from Tartu, Estonia and Sollentuna, Sweden, who will be followed longitudinally to investigate CHD risk. One hundred men and wo men from each country in each age group were invited by letter to participa te in a study of risk factors for CHD. Complete data were available for 279 Estonians and 272 Swedes. All participants were given the same physical ex amination and answered the same self-report questionnaires concerning demog raphics, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors. In general, Swedish men and w omen in both age groups rated their quality of life higher than Estonians. Self-reported health and depressive symptoms, both of which have predicted CHD risk, were also worse in Estonians than in Swedes. The psychosocial dif ferences found here, together with the lack of major differences in traditi onal risk factors, re fleet the results found in other East-West comparison s. Implications for CHD risk are discussed.