Socioeconomic aspects of spousal concordance for hypertension, obesity, and smoking in a community of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The present study aims to evaluate the environmental role in the distribution of hypertension, obesity, and smoking and spousal concordance for the presence/absence of these 3 cardiovascular risk factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in a community in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The households were randomly selected. Odds ratios were estimated to measure spousal concordance, across socioeconomic levels.. RESULTS: Overall a significant aggregation of all 3 risk factors was present. The crude odds ratio for hypertension was 1.78 (95%CI=1.02-3.08); for obesity, it was 1.80 (95%CI=1.09-2.96); and for smoking, it was 3.40 (95% CI=2.07-5.61). The spousal concordance for hypertension decreased significantly (p<0.001) from the lower to the higher educational level. In the case of obesity and smoking, the opposite was observed, although p-values for the linear trend were 0.10 and 0.08, respectively. CONCLUSION: In lower socioeconomic levels, couples are more concordant for hypertension and discordant for smoking. For hypertension and smoking, education seems to be a discriminant stronger than income, but for obesity the 2 socioeconomic indicators seem to represent different aspects of the environmental determinants of risk factor distribution

Spousal concordance for hypertension: A meta‐analysis of observational studies

“…One of the studies was published in Russian, which we translated into English with the assistance of a language translator . The eight studies also differed in study design: one study was a case‐control, five were cross‐sectional, one was a cross‐sectional analysis of baseline data from a prospective cohort, and the last was a cross‐sectional analysis of a cumulative 9‐year longitudinal cohort . Regarding the countries of origin, two studies were conducted in the United Kingdom, two in the United States, two in Russia, one in Brazil and one in China .…”

“…The eight studies also differed in study design: one study was a case‐control, five were cross‐sectional, one was a cross‐sectional analysis of baseline data from a prospective cohort, and the last was a cross‐sectional analysis of a cumulative 9‐year longitudinal cohort . Regarding the countries of origin, two studies were conducted in the United Kingdom, two in the United States, two in Russia, one in Brazil and one in China . The outcome was defined as diagnosed hypertension in four studies while as both diagnosed and undiagnosed hypertension in another four studies .…”

“…Regarding the countries of origin, two studies were conducted in the United Kingdom, two in the United States, two in Russia, one in Brazil and one in China . The outcome was defined as diagnosed hypertension in four studies while as both diagnosed and undiagnosed hypertension in another four studies . Moreover, BMI was adjusted in four studies …”

“…For example, one earlier case‐control study performed in the United Kingdom demonstrated that among various risk factors including age, smoking, and body mass index (BMI), spousal diagnosis of hypertension was the strongest risk factor of hypertension for men and second strongest risk factor for women, with adjusted risk estimates at two‐ to three‐fold . In another community‐based population study in Brazil, however, the spousal association was not significant after adjusting for age . Therefore, these inconsistencies and uncertainties need to be addressed using quantitative and comparative methods.…”

Alcohol and tobacco consumption concordance and its correlates in older couples in Latin America

“…One study that investigated socioeconomic factors and spousal concordance carried out in Brazil, found that non‐smoking concordance increased with higher levels of income and education, but their findings were related to adults aged 20 years and older with a mean age of 43.3 years, and not older adults only 30. The previously mentioned study carried out in Canada found that higher educational levels were associated with increased couple concordance in drinking habits 22.…”