Racial/Ethnic differences in behavioral risk factors and prevalence of cardiovascular disease in Mississippi

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as hypertension, heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of morbidity, disability and mortality in Mississippi. For example, in 2007, 10,195 Mississippians died from CVD, accounting for 36% of all deaths. Mississippi's CVD mortality rate is the highest in the nation, with a 2005 rate that was 25% higher than the national rate. Yet, knowledge about the underlying determinants of CVD in Mississippi remains scanty. Questions that need to be thoroughly addressed include: what are the determinants of racial/ethnic disparities in the prevalence of CVD? Do behavioral risk factors (BRFs) of CVD vary by race and ethnicity?

Objectives: To quantify racial/ethnic disparities in prevalence and behavioral risk factors of CVD; and to determine the extent to which the disparities are explained by differences in observed characteristics.

Methods: Using MS BRFSS from 2005-2010, statistical analyses to estimate racial/ethnic disparities in prevalence and BRFs of CVD will be conducted with STATA 10. Non-linear extension of Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition techniques will be used to identify the most important factors associated with the observed disparities in CVD. Expected Results: The percentage of blacks who are diagnosed with CVD is significantly higher than the whites. Observed characteristics are expected to explain a significant proportion of the differences in CVD and BRFs. Conclusions: There are racial/ethnic disparities in CVD prevalence and BRFs in Mississippi. Differences in observed characteristics explain most of the observed disparities. Public health policies designed to specifically target unhealthful behaviors among minority Mississippians are needed to eliminate racial/ethnic disparities in CVD.