Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comparative Study
. 2017 Sep 22;6(9):e006027.
doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.006027.

Trends in Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cardiovascular Health Among US Adults From 1999-2012

Lindsay R Pool  1 , Hongyan Ning  2 , Donald M Lloyd-Jones  2 , Norrina B Allen  2
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Trends in Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Cardiovascular Health Among US Adults From 1999-2012

Lindsay R Pool et al. J Am Heart Assoc. .

Abstract

Background: In the United States, there are persistent racial and ethnic disparities in cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality. National efforts have focused on reducing these disparities; however, little is known about the long-term trends in racial/ethnic disparities in cardiovascular health (CVH).

Methods and results: We included 11 285 adults aged ≥20 years from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys survey cycles 1999/2000 through 2011/2012. CVH includes 7 health factors and behaviors-diet, physical activity, smoking status, body mass index, blood pressure, blood glucose, and total cholesterol-each scored as ideal (2 points), intermediate (1 point), or poor (0 points). Overall CVH is a summation of these scores (range, 0-14) points. Age-adjusted mean CVH scores were calculated by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white, or Mexican American) and sex for each survey cycle. Non-Hispanic black women had significantly lower mean CVH scores as compared with non-Hispanic white women at each survey cycle (difference=0.93; P=0.001 in 2011/2012) and Mexican-American women had significantly lower mean score as compared with non-Hispanic white women at almost all survey cycles (difference=0.71; P=0.02 in 2011/2012). Differences between racial/ethnic groups were smaller for men and were mostly nonsignificant.

Conclusions: From 1999/2000 to 2011/2012, there were enduring disparities in CVH for non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American women as compared with non-Hispanic white women. Disparities that were present in 1999/2000 were present in 2011/2012, though no racial/ethnic differences became more pronounced over time. These findings provide US nationally representative data to evaluate health factors and behaviors of particular concern regarding racial/ethnic disparities in cardiovascular health.

Keywords: 2020 Strategic Impact Goals; cardiovascular health; race and ethnicity; sex; trends.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Trends in age‐adjusted mean cardiovascular health score for US adults aged ≥20 years by sex and race/ethnicity, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999–2012. A, Men. B, Women.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Trends in age‐adjusted means of cardiovascular health factors by sex and race/ethnicity, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999–2012. A, Body mass index—men; B, Body mass index—women. C, Blood pressure—men. D, Blood pressure—women. E, Total cholesterol—men. F, Total cholesterol—women. G, Fasting blood glucose—men. H, Fasting blood glucose—women.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Trends in age‐adjusted means of cardiovascular health behaviors by sex and race/ethnicity, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999–2012. A, Healthy diet index—men. B, Healthy diet index—women. C, Physical activity—men. D, Physical activity—women. E, Smoking—men. F, Smoking—women.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Trends in age‐adjusted mean cardiovascular health score for US adults aged ≥20 years by sex, race/ethnicity, and income level, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999–2012. A, Higher income—men. B, Lower income—men. C, Higher income—women. D, Lower income—women. Lower income defined as household income <185% of the US federal poverty level adjusted for household size; higher income defined as household income ≥185% of the US federal poverty level adjusted for household size. CVH indicates cardiovascular health.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Trends in age‐adjusted mean cardiovascular health score for US adults aged ≥20 years by sex, race/ethnicity, and educational attainment, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 1999–2012. A, Higher education—men. B, Lower education—men. C, Higher education—women. D, Lower education—women. Lower education defined as high school diploma or less educational attainment; higher education defined as least some college education. CVH indicates cardiovascular health.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Mozaffarian D, Benjamin EJ, Go AS, Arnett DK, Blaha MJ, Cushman M, Das SR, de Ferranti S, Després JP, Fullerton HJ, Howard VJ, Huffman MD, Isasi CR, Jiménez MC, Judd SE, Kissela BM, Lichtman JH, Lisabeth LD, Liu S, Mackey RH, Magid DJ, McGuire DK, Mohler ER III, Moy CS, Muntner P, Mussolino ME, Nasir K, Neumar RW, Nichol G, Palaniappan L, Pandey DK, Reeves MJ, Rodriguez CJ, Rosamond W, Sorlie PD, Stein J, Towfighi A, Turan TN, Virani SS, Woo D, Yeh RW, Turner MB; on behalf of the American Heart Association Statistics Committee and Stroke Statistics Subcommittee . Heart disease and stroke statistics—2016 update: a report from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2016;133:e38–e60. - PubMed
    1. Pearson‐Stuttard J, Guzman‐Castillo M, Penalvo JL, Rehm CD, Afshin A, Danaei G, Kypridemos C, Gaziano T, Mozaffarian D, Capewell S, O'Flaherty M. Modeling future cardiovascular disease mortality in the United States: national trends and racial and ethnic disparities. Circulation. 2016;133:967–978. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Rodriguez CJ, Allison M, Daviglus ML, Isasi CR, Keller C, Leira EC, Palaniappan L, Piña IL, Ramirez SM, Rodriguez B, Sims M; on behalf of the American Heart Association Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; American Heart Association Council on Clinical Cardiology; and American Heart Association Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing . Status of cardiovascular disease and stroke in Hispanics/Latinos in the United States: a science advisory from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2014;130:593–625. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Daviglus ML, Talavera GA, Avilés‐Santa ML, Allison M, Cai J, Criqui MH, Gellman M, Giachello AL, Gouskova N, Kaplan RC, LaVange L, Penedo F, Perreira K, Pirzada A, Schneiderman N, Wassertheil‐Smoller S, Sorlie PD, Stamler J. Prevalence of major cardiovascular risk factors and cardiovascular diseases among Hispanic/Latino individuals of diverse backgrounds in the United States. JAMA. 2012;308:1775–1784. - PMC - PubMed
    1. US Department of Health and Human Services . Healthy People 2020: Improving the Health of Americans. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office; 2010.

Publication types

MeSH terms