Clase social y enfermedad arteriosclerótica del corazón

Abstract

The epidemiology of arteriosclerotic hearth disease has changed form a strictly biological concept of medical ecology to a broader one which considers the life forms of the host in addition to the interaction between the host and his natural environment. Thus, consideration must be given to other parameters besides the traditional ones of sex, age, etc., and an ad hoc methodology must be developed which will be applicable to the largest possible number of areas and circumstances

To that end, a study was made to relate mortality due to tuberculosis and arteriosclerotic disease of the heart to social factors. Material prepared by the Inter-American Investigation of Mortality was used for the purpose. (It is based on the absolute numbers of weighted deaths distributed by cause, occupation, sex, and 10-year age groups, ranging from 15 to 74 years)

Ten of the twelve cities studied under this survey were located in Latin America, and the other two were San Francisco in the United States, and Bristol in the United Kingdom. The following social classes were established: A) leading professions and business; B) lesser professions and business, as well as skilled non-manual workers; and C) skilled manual workers, and semi-skilled and unskilled workers. In all 12 cities, of the deaths of males, 13 per cent were from occupations under Class A, 20 per cent under Class B, and 67 per cent under Class C. ...(AU)