Recent research has suggested that inequality in the distribution of income is associated with increased mortality, even after accounting for average income levels. Using data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), we investigated whether inequality in the distribution of income within US states is related to the prevalence of four cardiovascular disease risk factors (body mass index (BMI), history of hypertension, sedentarism, and smoking). Multilevel models (including both state-level and individual-level variables) were used to examine associations of state inequality with risk factor levels before and after adjustment for individual-level income. For three of the four risk factors investigated (BMI, hypertension, and sedentarism), state inequality was associated with increased risk factor levels, particularly at low income levels (annual household incomes <$25,000), with associations persisting after adjustment for individual-level income. Inequality was also positively associated with smoking, but associations were either stronger or only present at higher income levels. Associations of inequality with the outcomes were statistically significant in women but not in men. Although not conclusive, findings for three of the four risk factors are suggestive of a contextual effect of income inequality, particularly among persons with lower incomes.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 6. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 29 September 2023.
All research outputs
#6,087,335
of 27,782,313 outputs
Outputs from Social Science & Medicine
#5,491
of 12,519 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#8,307
of 47,084 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Social Science & Medicine
#13
of 35 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 27,782,313 research outputs across all sources so far. This one has received more attention than most of these and is in the 74th percentile.
So far Altmetric has tracked 12,519 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a lot more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 19.2. This one is in the 49th percentile – i.e., 49% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 47,084 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 69% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 35 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one is in the 42nd percentile – i.e., 42% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
