Knowledge of risk factors and risk behaviors related to coronary heart disease among blue and white collar males

Abstract

In this report the data regarding coronary heart disease (CHD) from the 1990 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Supplement of the National Health Interview Survey are used to examine the relationship between risk factor knowledge and health related behaviors among currently employed white collar (N = 5,349) and blue collar (N = 4,158) men workers. Blue collar employees have less knowledge about CHD risk factors, less favorable risk factors status, and poorer health practices than their white collar workers. Despite these findings within each occupational group, the relationship of knowledge to either risk factor status or health practices is similar. Knowledge is generally related to the attempts to change behaviors. However, for the different risk factors, the associations vary. For example, knowledge of cigarette smoking as a risk factor of CHD is negatively associated with reported ever smoking or current smoking, but not with heavy smoking. In contrast, knowledge of overweight, high serum cholesterol, and high blood pressure as CHD risk factors is not associated with risk factor status. These results suggest that while difference in level of knowledge and risk profiles remain between blue collar and white collar employees, the associations between knowledge and risk profiles are similar. Programs located at worksites must continue to provide education opportunities about the risk factors, especially among blue collar workers.