Association between educational attainment and blood pressure in older adults: a study of two Finnish generational cohorts born 20 years apart

TL;DR

This study found that higher education is linked to slightly lower blood pressure in older Finns born in 1940, but not in those born in 1920.

Contribution

The study reveals a generational difference in how education affects blood pressure in older adults.

Findings

Higher education was associated with small decreases in blood pressure in the 1940-born cohort.

No significant link between education and blood pressure was found in the 1920-born cohort.

Tertiary education showed no significant association with blood pressure in either cohort.

Abstract

This study compares the association between educational attainment and blood pressure (BP) in two Finnish cohorts of older adults, born 20 years apart.

All 70-year-old residents of Turku, Finland, were surveyed in 1990 (1920-born TUVA cohort) and in 2010 (1940-born UTUVA cohort). Associations between education and BP were assessed using first ANOVA and post-hoc Tukey tests and then multiple linear regression, adjusted for age, gender, smoking, and body mass index. Analyses included 668 TUVA and 862 UTUVA participants.

In the TUVA cohort (67.7 % women, mean age 70.9), 77.7 % had primary education only, compared to 54.1 % in the UTUVA cohort (59.6 % women, mean age 71.4). ANOVA revealed a significant association between education level and diastolic BP in the UTUVA cohort (p = 0.04). All other ANOVA results were non-significant (p ≥ 0.14). Tertiary education did not have a significant association with BP (p ≥ 0.0544). In regression analyses, each additional year of education in UTUVA correlated with a 0.36 mmHg decrease in systolic BP (p = 0.01) and a 0.32 mmHg decrease in diastolic BP (p < 0.001).

The 1920-born cohort demonstrated no significant differences in BP across education levels, whereas in the cohort born in 1940, higher education was associated with significant but small reductions in BP. These findings suggest that education may be linked to BP, but the absolute differences across education levels are modest. The relationship between education and BP is complex, influenced by lifestyle choices and healthcare access, and requires further exploration.

Image 1

•Several risk factors for hypertension have been identified in older adults.•However, the role of education in hypertension risk remains unclear in older adults.•In a 1920-born cohort, education level showed no link to blood pressure.•In a 1940 cohort, higher education was linked to slightly lower blood pressure.•Tertiary education had no significant association with blood pressure.

Several risk factors for hypertension have been identified in older adults.

However, the role of education in hypertension risk remains unclear in older adults.

In a 1920-born cohort, education level showed no link to blood pressure.

In a 1940 cohort, higher education was linked to slightly lower blood pressure.

Tertiary education had no significant association with blood pressure.

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