Education differences in cardiometabolic risk in England, Scotland and the United States between 1992 and 2019

Education differences in cardiometabolic risk and disease still play a major role in the magnitude of the socioeconomic health disparities in high-income societies. However, the knowledge on how education differences may have changed over time regarding the distribution of multiple risk factors is rather limited. This study aims to provide a comprehensive assessment of the magnitude of those differences in three high-income countries.

Data from repeated cross-sectional population health and examination surveys conducted between 1992 and 2019 in England, Scotland and the United States are analysed (pooled sample size [Formula: see text]). Six cardiometabolic risk factors, namely, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body-mass-index, glycated haemoglobin HbA1c, serum total cholesterol and the cardiovascular risk score are analysed with linear mixed models.

Education differences in cardiometabolic risk were found to have either increased or remained stable for the past 3 decades in the countries included in the analyses. Among individuals with no qualification the cardiometabolic risk has been higher than among the higher educated (mean difference: 0.136, 99% CI [0.119; 0.152]). Education differences were observed also for systolic blood pressure (2.788 mmHg, 99% CI [2.529; 3.047]), glycated haemoglobin HbA1c (0.160 %, 99% CI [0.136; 0.185]), total cholesterol (0.268 mmol/L, 99% CI [0.247; 0.289]) and body-mass-index (0.591 kg/m², 99% CI [0.504; 0.679]).

The results suggest a more complex pattern of associations between education and health which may be due to education-dependent processes related to behavioural, cognitive and attitudinal modification and adaptation to changing socio-cultural conditions.