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Table 1 Baseline characteristics of study sample

From: Demographic and biologic influences on survival in whites and blacks: 40 years of follow-up in the Charleston heart study

 

Population Sample Group

 

White Men

Black Men†

High SES Black Men

White Women

Black Women

Variable

N = 647

N = 321

N = 102

N = 728

N = 443

Age in 1960 (years: mean [s.d.])

49.9 (10.9)

49.9 (11.9)

42.3 (10.8)*

50.1 (11.4)

50.4 (12.4)

Education (years: mean [s.d.])††

10.0 (3.7)

4.9 (3.4)*

14.7 (3.2)*

10.0 (3.1)

5.6 (3.6)*

Occupational Status:††

     

   Blue Collar

52.1%

93.4%*

1.0%*

-

-

   Employed outside the home

-

-

-

38.7%

66.3%*

Smoking history††

     

   Current smoker (%)

69.4%

76.3%*

49.0%*

39.7%

37.9%

   Former smoker (%)

17.6%

7.2%*

18.6%

8.2%

7.5%

Cholesterol (mg/Dl: mean [s.d.])††

237 (45)

221 (45)*

249 (59)*

242 (52)

234 (48)*

Hx Diabetes††

3%

2%

6%*

2%

6%*

SBP (mmHg: mean [s.d.])††

139.2 (22.8)

151.2 (29.4)*

139.1 (20.2)*

137.8 (25.5)

159.9 (34.2)*

DBP (mmHg: mean [s.d.])††

83.8 (10.0)

90.3 (14.3)*

85.3 (12.4)*

82.0 (10.2)

91.9 (13.7)*

Elevated blood pressure††

42.7%

62.5%*

48.0%*

39.3%

69.4%*

BMI (mean [s.d.])††

25.1 (3.7)

25.1 (4.4)

26.7 (4.5)*

24.4 (4.6)

27.3 (6.3)*

  1. SES: socioeconomic status; SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; BMI: body mass index
  2. * p < 0.05 compared to the white population of the same gender
  3. † The group labeled as 'Black Men' refers to the general population of black men recruited in 1960 and does not include the group of high SES black men recruited in 1963.
  4. †† All comparisons adjusted for age in 1960, using an analysis of covariance model or a logistic regression model, as appropriate.
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International Journal for Equity in Health

ISSN: 1475-9276

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