Association of educational level with risk of death from cardiovascular diseases and cancers in selected study populations in Asia
| Population | CVD | Cancer | ||||
| Number of deaths | Model 1 | Model 2 | Number of deaths | Model 1 | Model 2 | |
| HR (95% CI) | HR (95% CI) | HR (95% CI) | HR (95% CI) | |||
| All cohorts combined | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 22 723 | 1 | 1 | 19 465 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 8559 | 0.86 (0.81 to 0.91) | 0.88 (0.83 to 0.93) | 9626 | 0.90 (0.86 to 0.95) | 0.93 (0.89 to 0.97) |
| Trade/technical education | 1478 | 0.73 (0.61 to 0.88) | 0.77 (0.66 to 0.91) | 2322 | 0.81 (0.72 to 0.91) | 0.86 (0.78 to 0.94) |
| ≥University education | 1885 | 0.63 (0.53 to 0.75) | 0.67 (0.58 to 0.77) | 2526 | 0.75 (0.64 to 0.86) | 0.81 (0.73 to 0.89) |
| P for trend | 0.003 | 0.002 | 0.01 | 0.006 | ||
| Mainland China | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 2700 | 1 | 1 | 2548 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 1858 | 0.80 (0.75 to 0.85) | 0.83 (0.78 to 0.89) | 2612 | 0.84 (0.74 to 0.95) | 0.88 (0.79 to 0.97) |
| Trade/technical education | 729 | 0.56 (0.48 to 0.66) | 0.61 (0.51 to 0.73) | 1334 | 0.72 (0.57 to 0.92) | 0.79 (0.65 to 0.96) |
| ≥University education | 661 | 0.47 (0.42 to 0.51) | 0.52 (0.45 to 0.60) | 1027 | 0.58 (0.45 to 0.75) | 0.66 (0.57 to 0.78) |
| P for trend | <0.001 | 0.001 | 0.03 | 0.03 | ||
| Taiwan | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 619 | 1 | 1 | 931 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 97 | 0.76 (0.55 to 1.06) | 0.78 (0.53 to 1.15) | 169 | 0.88 (0.73 to 1.06) | 0.91 (0.77 to 1.09) |
| Trade/technical education | 33 | 0.71 (0.50 to 1.03) | 0.77 (0.53 to 1.11) | 81 | 0.78 (0.62 to 1.00) | 0.84 (0.65 to 1.07) |
| ≥University education | 29 | 0.52 (0.36 to 0.77) | 0.61 (0.42 to 0.90) | 50 | 0.54 (0.40 to 0.73) | 0.63 (0.47 to 0.84) |
| P for trend | 0.20 | 0.39 | 0.08 | 0.13 | ||
| Singapore | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 3079 | 1 | 1 | 3150 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 536 | 0.77 (0.70 to 0.84) | 0.81 (0.74 to 0.90) | 627 | 0.78 (0.71 to 0.85) | 0.84 (0.77 to 0.92) |
| Trade/technical education | 80 | 0.79 (0.63 to 0.99) | 0.87 (0.69 to 1.08) | 75 | 0.62 (0.49 to 0.78) | 0.71 (0.57 to 0.90) |
| ≥University education | 13 | 0.30 (0.17 to 0.51) | 0.35 (0.20 to 0.60) | 35 | 0.64 (0.45 to 0.89) | 0.80 (0.57 to 1.12) |
| P for trend | <0.001 | 0.002 | 0.24 | 0.77 | ||
| Japan | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 13 187 | 1 | 1 | 12 159 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 4910 | 0.89 (0.81 to 0.97) | 0.91 (0.83 to 0.99) | 5736 | 0.95 (0.92 to 0.99) | 0.96 (0.93 to 1.00) |
| Trade/technical education | 632 | 0.90 (0.78 to 1.04) | 0.92 (0.80 to 1.06) | 830 | 0.93 (0.84 to 1.02) | 0.94 (0.85 to 1.04) |
| ≥University education | 953 | 0.84 (0.72 to 0.96) | 0.83 (0.73 to 0.95) | 1147 | 0.89 (0.84 to 0.95) | 0.89 (0.84 to 0.95) |
| P for trend | 0.49 | 0.38 | 0.10 | 0.09 | ||
| Republic of Korea | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 74 | 0.51 (0.19 to 1.40) | 0.58 (0.21 to 1.60) | 252 | 0.97 (0.46 to 2.06) | 0.99 (0.46 to 2.11) |
| Trade/technical education | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ≥University education | 76 | 0.40 (0.15 to 1.10) | 0.51 (0.18 to 1.41) | 234 | 0.69 (0.33 to 1.47) | 0.74 (0.35 to 1.59) |
| P for trend | 0.14 | 0.43 | <0.001 | 0.002 | ||
| India | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 2868 | 1 | 1 | 564 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 987 | 0.89 (0.83 to 0.97) | 0.90 (0.84 to 0.98) | 200 | 0.88 (0.74 to 1.04) | 0.99 (0.84 to 1.18) |
| Trade/technical education | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| ≥University education | 153 | 0.67 (0.57 to 0.79) | 0.68 (0.58 to 0.80) | 33 | 0.77 (0.54 to 1.10) | 0.92 (0.65 to 1.32) |
| P for trend | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.48 | 0.70 | ||
| Bangladesh | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 266 | 1 | 1 | 106 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 97 | 1.11 (0.88 to 1.41) | 1.08 (0.84 to 1.38) | 30 | 0.84 (0.56 to 1.26) | 0.97 (0.63 to 1.47) |
| Trade/technical education | 4 | 0.88 (0.33 to 2.38) | 0.88 (0.32 to 2.38) | 2 | 1.04 (0.26 to 4.24) | 1.38 (0.33 to 5.69) |
| ≥University education | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| P for trend | 0.65 | 0.68 | 0.76 | 0.63 | ||
| East Asians | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 19 589 | 1 | 1 | 18 795 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 7475 | 0.84 (0.79 to 0.90) | 0.87 (0.82 to 0.92) | 9396 | 0.90 (0.86 to 0.95) | 0.93 (0.89 to 0.97) |
| Trade/technical education | 1474 | 0.73 (0.61 to 0.87) | 0.77 (0.66 to 0.91) | 2320 | 0.81 (0.72 to 0.91) | 0.86 (0.78 to 0.94) |
| ≥University education | 1732 | 0.62 (0.51 to 0.75) | 0.67 (0.57 to 0.78) | 2493 | 0.74 (0.64 to 0.87) | 0.80 (0.72 to 0.89) |
| P for trend | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 | 0.01 | ||
| South Asians | ||||||
| ≤Primary education | 3134 | 1 | 1 | 670 | 1 | 1 |
| Secondary education | 1084 | 0.97 (0.79 to 1.19) | 0.95 (0.81 to 1.11) | 230 | 0.87 (0.75 to 1.02) | 0.99 (0.84 to 1.16) |
| Trade/technical education | 4 | 0.88 (0.33 to 2.38) | 0.88 (0.32 to 2.38) | 2 | 1.04 (0.26 to 4.24) | 1.38 (0.33 to 5.69) |
| ≥University education | 153 | 0.67 (0.57 to 0.79) | 0.68 (0.58 to 0.80) | 33 | 0.77 (0.54 to 1.10) | 0.92 (0.65 to 1.32) |
| P for trend | 0.17 | 0.14 | 0.61 | 0.80 | ||
Model 1: adjust for baseline age and sex.
Model 2: adjust for baseline age, sex, urban/rural residence, marital status, body mass index, smoking status, alcohol consumption status and physical activity.
East Asians include participants from mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Republic of Korea and Japan; South Asians include participants from India and Bangladesh.
CVD, cardiovascular disease.