LONDON: Researchers have identified a relationship between unemployment, lack of health insurance, limited education beyond high school, inadequate sleep, and an elevated susceptibility to cardiovascular disease.
A study focusing on Asian American populations, including Asian Indian adults, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, revealed that the connection between these adverse social determinants of health and risk factors for cardiovascular disease varied significantly among different subgroups.
However, the research team emphasized that correlation does not imply connection between social determinants of health and risk factors. The study encompassed data from 6,395 Asian adults, with Asian Indian adults comprising 22 percent of the sample.
Asian adults exhibited a 20 percent likelihood of experiencing suboptimal sleep and a 42 percent higher probability of insufficient physical activity—both significant contributors to heart disease.
Moreover, the analysis demonstrated that across all Asian groups, an increase of one standardized unit in unfavorable social determinants of health was associated with a 14 percent higher risk of high blood pressure, a 17 percent increased risk of poor sleep, and a 24 percent elevated risk of Type 2 diabetes—all of which escalate the likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease.
Lead author Eugene Yang, a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, highlighted the interconnectedness of various social determinants of health, such as neighborhood cohesion, economic stability, and healthcare utilization.
