Association Between Area-Level Deprivation and Cardio-Metabolic Risk Factors Among the Adult Population in Russia

Cardiovascular diseases have been the leading cause of death in the Russian population to date.

Using generalized estimating equations, we examined the links of area-level socio-economic and environmental deprivation with cardiovascular disease risk factors in the adult population as a whole, as well as in men and women separately.

People living in more economically deprived areas had 61 percent higher odds of being obese (Q4: odds ratio (OR) 1.61; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.20-2.16), 2.32 times higher odds of having chronic kidney disease (OR 2.32; 95% CI: 1.56-3.44), up to 57 percent higher odds of having hyperuricemia (OR 1.57; 95% CI: 1.31-1.88), and up to 80 percent higher odds of having diabetes mellitus (OR 1.80; 95% CI: 1.71-1.89), compared to those in the least deprived areas. Individuals living in the most environmentally deprived areas were associated with higher odds of hypertension (OR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.19-1.57) and these associations persisted for both when considering men (OR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.19-1.61) and women (OR 1.37; 95% CI: 1.14-1.65) separately.

This is the first study to examine the relationship of area characteristics with cardio-metabolic risk factors such as elevated blood pressure and prediabetes, taking into account individual characteristics among the Russian population.