Socioeconomic Position Disparities in Cardiovascular Health Before and After the Examination of Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Weight Compensation Randomized Controlled Trial

Health Equity. 2019 Aug 7;3(1):390-394. doi: 10.1089/heq.2019.0019. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

Purpose: We examined socioeconomic position (SEP) disparities in cardiovascular health before and after an exercise intervention. Methods: Data were from the Examination of Mechanisms of Exercise-Induced Weight Compensation (E-MECHANIC) study. Cardiovascular health was measured through a composite score combining body mass index, systolic blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose. SEP was assessed using a single measure that combined income and education. Results: At baseline, there was no significant difference in cardiovascular health between high and low SEP participants. Post-intervention, this difference reached significance. Conclusion: Although cardiovascular health improved for exercise intervention participants, SEP disparities in cardiovascular health persisted during the trial.

Keywords: cardiovascular health; exercise intervention; health disparity; socioeconomic position.