Education, poverty, and stroke incidence in whites and blacks: the NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that educational attainment and poverty index are inversely associated with incidence of stroke in blacks and in whites. The NHANES I Epidemiologic Follow-up Study data were analyzed. We analyzed 2953 women and 2661 men with no history of stroke before baseline (1971-1975), using the incidence of stroke through 1992, years of education, and poverty index at baseline. In white men aged 45 to 74, Cox regression models showed an inverse age-adjusted association with education that did not attain statistical significance. In white women, those with 12 or more years of education had significantly lower age-adjusted risk of stroke compared with those with less than 8 years. A test for linear trend was significant when adjusting for age (P = 0.0005). In blacks, stroke risk was significantly lower in those with 8 or more years of education than in those with <8 years in adjusted models. In each group, Cox regression models showed an inverse, graded, age-adjusted association with poverty index that attained statistical significance. After controlling for multiple confounders and risk mediators, the association was diminished and nonsignificant.