Medical innovations can reduce social inequalities in health: an analysis of blood pressure and medication in the HUNT study

Figures & data

Table 1. Descriptive statistics.

	Male population	Female population
Variable	Mean (SD) or %	Mean (SD) or %
Systolic BP^a	137.7 (18.9)	132.3 (22.7)
Diastolic BP^a	81.8 (11.9)	77.4 (12.5)
Primary education	29.6%	34.3%
Secondary education	53.6%	45.7%
Tertiary education	16.7%	20.0%
BP medication	14.0%	15.7%
Income q1	21.0%	28.4%
Income q2	7.5%	11.0%
Income q3	22.7%	43.2%
Income q4	48.8%	17.5%
Age^b	49.8 (16.4)	49.3 (16.6)
BMI	26.3 (3.6)	25.9 (4.6)
Smoker	63.2%	52.3%
Exercise > 1/week	63.7%	68.3%
Diabetes	3.2%	2.7%
Myocardial infarction	4.4%	1.3%
Heart rate^c	70.0 (12.7)	73.5 (12.4)
N (individual respondents)	77,134 (45,211)	83,078 (47,495)

^ammHg.

^bYears.

^cBeats/minute.

Figure 1. Marginal predictions, male population. Note: Based on regression models from Table 2. Spikes indicate 95% confidence intervals.

Figure 2. Marginal predictions, female population. Note: Based on regression models from Table 2. Spikes indicate 95% confidence intervals.

Table 2. Regression models.

	Men				Women
	Systolic		Diastolic		Systolic		Diastolic
Primary education	1.086 (0.929)	0.560 (0.924)	0.491 (0.597)	0.273 (0.594)	1.828* (0.722)	1.277 (0.718)	−0.116 (0.448)	−0.326 (0.447)
Secondary education	0.223 (0.735)	−0.279 (0.730)	0.167 (0.472)	−0.0574 (0.469)	0.994 (0.524)	0.520 (0.519)	0.142 (0.325)	−0.0508 (0.323)
Income quartile group 1	1.014*** (0.297)	2.794*** (0.317)	−0.197 (0.191)	0.824*** (0.204)	0.877** (0.309)	2.477*** (0.319)	−0.582** (0.192)	0.148 (0.198)
Income quartile group 2	2.371*** (0.314)	2.808*** (0.347)	0.335 (0.202)	0.673** (0.223)	1.131*** (0.311)	1.315*** (0.324)	−0.0803 (0.193)	−0.0360 (0.202)
Income quartile group 3	1.066*** (0.202)	1.232*** (0.212)	0.0117 (0.130)	0.184 (0.136)	0.577* (0.226)	0.617** (0.232)	−0.0870 (0.141)	−0.0502 (0.144)
BP medication	−2.569*** (0.620)	−2.186*** (0.394)	−3.046*** (0.398)	−1.803*** (0.253)	−4.158*** (0.677)	−2.479*** (0.655)	−3.830*** (0.420)	−2.506*** (0.407)
BP med. x Primary ed.	−4.744*** (0.747)		−1.513** (0.480)		−4.789*** (0.778)		−1.506** (0.483)
BP med. x Secondary ed.	−3.460*** (0.680)		−1.314** (0.437)		−3.330*** (0.746)		−1.343** (0.463)
BP med. x Income q1		−8.014*** (0.504)		−4.826*** (0.324)		−9.616*** (0.718)		−4.607*** (0.447)
BP med. x Income q2		−4.234*** (0.725)		−3.056*** (0.466)		−3.983*** (0.889)		−1.803** (0.553)
BP med. x Income q3		−2.572*** (0.564)		−2.257*** (0.363)		−1.558* (0.723)		−1.084* (0.450)
Constant	141.8*** (5.329)	142.4*** (5.311)	46.88*** (3.424)	47.13*** (3.413)	124.1*** (5.111)	125.7*** (5.089)	48.69*** (3.172)	49.46*** (3.164)
Within-R^2	0.120	0.126	0.193	0.198	0.185	0.192	0.243	0.247
N	77,143	77,143	77,135	77,135	83,083	83,083	83,078	83,078

Notes: Standard errors in parentheses. Control variables not reported in models: survey year, age, age squared, BMI, smoking status, physical exercise, self-reported diabetes, myocardial infarction, heart rate.

*p < 0.05.

**p < 0.01.

***p < 0.001.