Health-related quality of life and risk factor control: The importance of educational level in prevention of cardiovascular diseases

Dominik Ose, Justine Rochon, Stephen Campbell, Michel Wensing, Tobias Freund, Jan Van Lieshout, Gerda Längst, Joachim Szécsényi, Sabine Ludt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

27 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to describe and to analyse the importance of educational level for controlled risk factors and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: This observational study was conducted in nine European countries (5632 patients in 249 practices). We compared patients with a low level of education (up to 9 years) with patients with a high level of education (>9 years), with regard to controlled cardiovascular disease risk factors and HRQoL. A multilevel approach was used for statistical analysis. Results: Patients with a low level of education were older (P < 0.001), more often female (P < 0.001), more often single (P < 0.001) and had a higher number of other conditions (e.g. heart failure) (P < 0.001). Significant differences in terms of controlled risk factors were revealed for blood pressure (RR) ≤140/90 mmHg (P = 0.039) and the sum of controlled risk factors (P = 0.027). Higher age, lower education, female gender, living as single, patient group (coronary heart disease patients) and the number of other conditions were negatively associated with HRQoL. A higher sum of controlled risk factors were positively associated with higher HRQoL in the whole sample (r = 0.0086, P < 0.001) as well as in both educational-level groups (r = 0.0075, P = 0.038 in the low-level group and r = 0.0082, P = 0.001 in the high-level group). Conclusion: Patients with a lower educational level were more often females, singles, had a higher number of other conditions, a higher number of uncontrolled risk factors and a lower HRQoL. However, the higher the control of risk factors was, the higher the HRQoL was overall as well as in both educational-level groups.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)679-684
Number of pages6
JournalEuropean Journal of Public Health
Volume24
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2014
Externally publishedYes

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