title: Are the rates of hypertension and diabetes higher in people from lower socioeconomic status in Bangladesh? Results from a nationally representative survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A well-established belief regarding inequalities in health around the world is that hypertension and diabetes are higher in groups of lower socioeconomic status. We examined whether rates of hypertension, diabetes, and the coexistence of hypertension and diabetes are higher in people from a lower socioeconomic status than in those from a higher socioeconomic status in Bangladesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated a nationally representative dataset from the 2011 Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey with objective measures for hypertension and diabetes. A wealth index was constructed from data on household assets using principal components analysis. Chi-square tests and logistic regressions were performed to test the associations between wealth level, hypertension and diabetes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  People from the highest wealth quintile were significantly more likely to have hypertension (Adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 1.65, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.22-2.25), diabetes (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI = 1.21-2.71), and the coexistence of hypertension and diabetes (AOR = 2.17, 95% CI = 1.05-4.49) than people from the lowest wealth quintile. The odds of having hypertension, diabetes, and their coexistence were higher for older people, women, people who engaged in less physical labor, and people who were overweight and obese.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wealthier people, particularly people from the fourth and highest wealth quintiles, should be careful to avoid unhealthy lifestyles to prevent hypertension and diabetes. Health policy makers and planners are urged to target wealthier strata in terms of hypertension and diabetes initiatives while paying special attention to older people, women, people who engage in less physical labor, and individuals who are overweight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: Md Ismail
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Tareque
authors.affiliation: The Graduate School of Project Design, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koshio
authors.affiliation: United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC, United States of America.
authors.forename: Andrew D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Tiedt
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Nippon Medical School, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshihiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors