A recent study conducted by researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine and Fudan University has revealed a significant association between socioeconomic status (SES) inequality and the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Published in Health Data Science, the study highlights how a healthy lifestyle can mitigate some of the risks associated with low SES. Socioeconomic disparities have long been a concern in various health outcomes.
This study, led by Associate Research Fellow Huixun Jia and Professor Xiaodong Sun from the Department of Ophthalmology at Shanghai General Hospital, aims to investigate the impact of SES inequality on the incidence of AMD, a leading cause of blindness among the elderly. Previous studies suggested a potential link, but were limited by their cross-sectional design or small sample sizes. Using data from the UK Biobank, the researchers conducted a prospective cohort study involving 316,663 middle-aged and elderly individuals.
SES was determined through latent class analysis considering education, household income, and employment status. Healthy lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol consumption, and physical activity (PA), were also examined. Our study identified a significant association between SES inequality and the incidence of AMD.
Notably, the relationship was influenced by lifestyle behaviors, particularly physical activity. We found that smoking mediated the low SES-AMD association, while high .