RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Area deprivation predicts lung function independently of education and social class
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 157
OP 161
DO 10.1183/09031936.04.00088303
VO 24
IS 1
A1 S. Shohaimi
A1 A. Welch
A1 S. Bingham
A1 R. Luben
A1 N. Day
A1 N. Wareham
A1 K‐T. Khaw
YR 2004
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/24/1/157.abstract
AB The cross-sectional association between socioeconomic status (at both the individual and area-based level) and lung function, as measured by forced expiratory volume in one second, in a large population-based cohort was investigated. The study population consisted of 22,675 males and females aged 39–79 yrs. They were recruited from the general community in Norfolk, UK using general practice age/sex registers, as part of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC-Norfolk). It was found that being in a manual occupational social class, having no educational qualifications and living in a deprived area all independently predicted significantly lower lung function, even after controlling for smoking habit. The influence of area-deprivation on lung function, independent of individual socioeconomic status and of individual smoking habit, suggests that apart from targeting individuals who are at high-risk, such as smokers, environmental determinants also need to be examined when considering measures to improve respiratory health.