Socioeconomic and behavioral determinants of cardiovascular diseases among older adults in Belgium and France: A longitudinal analysis from the SHARE study

Despite advances in the healthcare system, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are still an important public health problem with disparities in the burden within and between countries. Studies among the adult population documented that socioeconomic and environmental factors play a role in the incidence and progression of CVDs. However, evidence is scarce on the socioeconomic determinants and the interplay with behavioral risks among older adults. Therefore, we identified socioeconomic and behavioral determinants of CVDs among older adults. Our sample consisted of 14,322 people aged 50 years and above from Belgium and France who responded to the waves 4, 5, 6 and/or 7 of the Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe. The effect of determinants on the occurrence of CVD was examined using a Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) approach for binary longitudinal data. The overall rate of heart attack was 8.3%, which is 7.6% in Belgium and 9.1% in France. Whereas, 2.6% and 2.3% in Belgium and France, respectively, had experienced stroke. In the multivariable GEE model, older age [AOR: 1.057, 95%CI: 1.055–1.060], living in large cities [AOR: 1.14, 95%CI: 1.07–1.18], and retirement [AOR: 1.21, 95%CI: 1.16–1.31] were associated with higher risk of CVD. Furthermore, higher level of education [AOR: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.79–0.90], upper wealth quantile [AOR: 0.82, 95%CI: 0.76–0.86] and having social support [AOR: 0.81, 95%CI: 0.77–0.84] significantly lowers the odds of having CVD. A higher hand grip strength was also significantly associated with lower risk of CVD [AOR: 0.987, 95%CI: 0.984–0.990]. This study demonstrated that older adults who do not have social support, live in big cities, belong to the lowest wealth quantile, and have a low level of education have a higher likelihood of CVD. Therefore, community-based interventions aimed at reducing cardiovascular risks need to give more emphasis to high-risk retired older adults with lower education, no social support and those who live in large cities.