Psychological, social and biological determinants of ill health (pSoBid): study protocol of a population-based study

Velupillai, Y.N. et al. (2008) Psychological, social and biological determinants of ill health (pSoBid): study protocol of a population-based study. BMC Public Health, 8(126), (doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-8-126)

Abstract

<p><b>Background</b>: Disadvantaged communities suffer higher levels of physical and mental ill health than more advantaged communities. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychosocial, behavioural and biological determinants of ill health within population groups in Glasgow that differed in socioeconomic status and in their propensity to develop chronic disease especially coronary heart disease and Type 2 diabetes mellitus.</p> <p><b>Methods</b>: Participants were selected at random from areas known to be at the extremes of the socioeconomic continuum in Glasgow. Within the categories of least deprived and most deprived, recruitment was stratified by sex and age to achieve an overall sample containing approximately equal numbers of males and females and an even distribution across the age categories 35–44, 45–54 and 55–64 years. Individuals were invited by letter to attend for assessment of their medical history, risk factor status, cognitive function and psychological profile, morbidity, and carotid intima-media thickness and plaque count as indices of atherosclerosis. Anonymised data on study subjects were collected from the General Practice Administration System for Scotland to analyse characteristics of participants and non-participants.</p> <p><b>Results</b>: 700 subjects were recruited. The response (active participants per 100 invitation letters) in the least deprived group was 35.1% and in the most deprived group was 20.3%. Lowest response was seen in young males (least deprived 22.4% and most deprived 14.1%).</p> <p><b>Conclusion</b>: This cross-sectional study recruited the planned sample of subjects from least deprived and most deprived areas within Glasgow. As evident in other studies response differed between the most and least deprived areas. This study brought together researchers/academics from diverse disciplines to build a more sophisticated understanding of the determinants of health inequalities than can be achieved through unidisciplinary approaches. Future analyses will enable an understanding of the relationships between the different types of measure, and of the pathways that link poverty, biology, behaviour and psychology and lead to health inequalities.</p>

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Ford, Professor Ian and Tannahill, Dr Carol and Shiels, Professor Paul and Millar, Professor Keith and Cavanagh, Professor Jonathan and Velupillai, Dr Yoganathan and Batty, Dr G and Packard, Professor Chris and Sattar, Professor Naveed and Burns, Prof Henry
• Authors: Velupillai, Y.N., Packard, C.J., Batty, G.D., Bezlyak, V., Burns, H., Cavanagh, J., Deans, K., Ford, I., McGinty, A., Millar, K., Sattar, N., Shiels, P., and Tannahill, C.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Robertson Centre; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Mental Health and Wellbeing; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > Public Health; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing > Clinical Specialities
• Journal Name: BMC Public Health
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• ISSN: 1471-2458
• ISSN (Online): 1471-2458
• Published Online: 21 April 2008
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2008 The Authors
• First Published: First published in BMC Public Health 8:126
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher