title: Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status in Relation to Serum Biomarkers in the Black Women's Health Study.
abstract: Lower neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with higher cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Black women have a higher CVD risk and are more likely to live in poor neighborhoods than white women. We examined the association of neighborhood SES with several CVD biomarkers using data from the Black Women's Health Study (BWHS), a follow-up study of US black women reporting high levels of education and income. Blood specimens of 418 BWHS participants were assayed for C-reactive protein (CRP), hemoglobin A1C (hgA1C), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. US Census block group data were linked to the women's addresses to reflect neighborhood SES. Multivariable-adjusted mixed linear regression models that adjusted for person-level SES and for cardiovascular risk factors were used to assess CRP, hgA1C, and HDL levels in relation to quintiles of neighborhood SES. Women living in the poorest neighborhoods had the least favorable biomarker levels. As neighborhood SES increased, CRP decreased (P for trend = 0.01), hgA1C decreased (P for trend = 0.07), and HDL increased (P for trend = 0.19). These associations were present within strata of individual educational level. The present findings suggest that neighborhood environments may affect physiological processes within residents independently of individual SES.
authors.affiliation: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, 1010 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA. yvettec@bu.edu.
authors.forename: Yvette C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Cozier
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, M1177, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Albert
authors.affiliation: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, 1010 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Nelsy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Castro-Webb
authors.affiliation: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, 1010 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Patricia F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Coogan
authors.affiliation: Divisions of Preventive Medicine and Cardiovascular Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ridker
authors.affiliation: Office of Medical Affairs, Quest Diagnostics, 3 Giralda Farms, Madison, NJ, 07940, USA.
authors.forename: Harvey W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Kaufman
authors.affiliation: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, 1010 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Julie R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.affiliation: Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, 1010 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007182:Income / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012111:Residence Characteristics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; C517652:hemoglobin A1c protein, human
keywords: African-Americans; Neighborhood socioeconomic status; Serum biomarkers; Women