Role of socioeconomic indicators in the prediction of all causes and coronary heart disease mortality in over 12,000 men--The Italian RIFLE pooling project.

The relationship of socioeconomic indicators (education, occupation and residence) to short-term all cause mortality and coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality was evaluated in an Italian population sample. Socioeconomic indicators (education, occupational level and residence) and major CHD risk factors were measured in 12,361 males aged 40-69 years; mortality data by cause were collected for the next 6 years. All cause and CHD mortality risk ratio (RR) in the different educational and occupational levels and residence were computed by Cox proportional hazards models. After 6 years 385 men died, of whom 105 were coronary fatalities. No association with educational level was found for all cause mortality (RR: 1.00 high, 0.71 medium, 0.77 low) and for CHD mortality (RR: 1.00 high, 0.39 intermediate, 0.71 low). Occupational level was significantly associated (p < 0.031) with all cause mortality (RR: 1.00 high-intermediate, 1.27 low). Urban vs. rural residence (RR: 1.00) showed a RR for all cause mortality of 1.33 (p < 0.011). Adjustment for bio-behavioral risk factors did not change the above results; only mortality for CHD of urban vs. rural residents increased (RR: 1.94, p = 0.004). In conclusion the negative association of mortality with occupational level, albeit not with education, indicates that occupation is a better indicator of socioeconomic status in Italy. Status incongruity as well as residence in an urban environment could be risk conditions for total and CHD mortality.