Life-course socioeconomic position, area deprivation, and coronary heart disease: findings from the British Women's Heart and Health Study.
OBJECTIVE
We sought to determine whether residential area deprivation, over and above the effect of life-course socioeconomic status or position (SEP), is associated with coronary heart disease.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 4286 women aged 60 to 79 years from 457 British electoral wards.


RESULTS
After adjustment for age and 10 indicators of individual life-course SEP, the odds of coronary heart disease was 27% greater among those living in wards with a deprivation score above the median compared with those living in a ward with a deprivation score equal to or below the median (odds ratio=1.27; 95% confidence interval=1.02, 1.57).


CONCLUSIONS
Adverse area-level socioeconomic characteristics, over and above individual life-course SEP, are associated with increased coronary heart disease.
Lawlor
Debbie A
DA
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2PR, England. d.a.lawlor@bristol.ac.uk
Davey Smith
George
G
Patel
Rita
R
Ebrahim
Shah
S
D000368:Aged; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012923:Social Class; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology