Effects of Education on the Quality of Life, Diet, and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in an Elderly Spanish Community Population

Abstract

An inverse relation between education and health has been reported, suggesting the importance of examining the underlying mechanism of this association. We examined whether cardiovascular risk factors, diet, and indicators of quality of life (mood, self-perceived health, social relationships, self-rated sensory, and dental adequacy) vary according to educational level among 352 old people (65–95 years old) in the city of Oviedo (Northern Spain). Lower educational level (LE) was associated with unhappiness, poor social relationships, poor self-assessed health, and sensory, and masticatory problems. LE elderly consumed less vegetables and meat products and more carbohydrates. LE women had a lower contribution of proteins and lipids to their total energy intake as well as a lower vitamin A intake. Except for hypercholesterolemia, no differences