Effects of education on the quality of life, diet, and cardiovascular riskfactors in an elderly Spanish community population

An inverse relation between education and health has been reported, suggest ing the importance of examining the underlying mechanism of this associatio n. We examined whether cardiovascular risk factors, diet, and indicators of quality of life (mood, self-perceived health, social relationships, self-r ated sensory, and dental adequacy) vary according to educational level amon g 352 old people (65-95 years old) in the city of Oviedo (Northern Spain). Lower educational level (LE) was associated with unhappiness, poor social r elationships, poor self-assessed health, and sensory, and masticatory probl ems. LE elderly consumed less vegetables and meat products and more carbohy drates. LE women had a lower contribution of proteins and lipids to their t otal energy intake as well as a lower vitamin A intake. Except for hypercho lesterolemia, no differences were found for the cardiovascular risk factors studied. The educational level of old people has a strong influence on the ir quality of life, nutrient intake and food consumption. These findings ma y provide part of the explanation for the social gradient in mortality.