Social determinants of health that influence in the incidence/prevalence of cardiovascular disease

Abstract

Introduction: Germany, the United States and Brazil are the countries with the highest mortality rates due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). In Chile, they represent the leading cause of death in adults. There are structural and intermediate determinants that interfere in the incidence and prevalence of CVD. Objective: To describe the influence of social determinants of health (SDH) on the incidence and prevalence of CVD in adults. Methods: This was a systematic review. The question was elaborated according to the PICO acronym. The PubMed and Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases were used. For PubMed, the search was constructed using the descriptors MeSH, Adult, Cardiovascular Disease, Social Determinants of Health. For VHL, by means of DeCS, Cardiovascular Disease, Social Determinants of Health, Adult in Spanish, English and Portuguese. For both searches, in combination with keywords and Boolean operators AND and OR. All references were imported into EndNote. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated according to JBI Critical Appraisal tools. Deductive thematic analysis of the data was performed. Results: A total of 834 articles were identified and 31 included. The structural determinants identified were race, sex, socioeconomic level and educational level. The intermediate determinants identified were rurality, comorbidities, mental health factors and the presence of unhealthy habits. Conclusions: Low socioeconomic and educational level were the structural DSS identified. Poor mental health and the presence of unhealthy habits were intermediate DSS that influenced the incidence and prevalence of CVD.