The importance of social relationships, socioeconomic status and health practices with respect to mortality among healthy Ontario males

The importance of social relationships, socioeconomic status and health practices with respect to mortality among healthy Ontario males

Author:
Publication type: 
Journal Article
Year: 
1992
InterRAI Authors: 
Journal/Series title: 
Journal of Clinical Epidemiology
Volume number: 
45
Issue: 
2
Pages: 
175-82
Abstract: 

The associations of social relationships, socioeconomic status and health practices with 20-year mortality were examined in a cohort of 2000 Ontario males. A social relationships index comprised of marital status, number of children, family contact and participation in voluntary associations had a strong association with mortality (adjusted relative risk of 0.30, 95% CI 0.11-0.83, comparing the highest 10% with the lowest 10% scores of the index). Among indicators of socioeconomic status, only income was significantly related to mortality with an adjusted relative risk of 0.41 (95% CI 0.23-0.72) for the highest 20% compared with the lowest 20% income group. The adjusted relative risk for smokers compared with non-smokers was 2.26 (95% CI 1.51-3.37). The joint effects of a relatively high score in the social relationships index, high income and being a non-smoker is estimated to represent an approximately 18-fold reduction in the risk of mortality during the follow-up period.