Risk and Protective Factors to Hyperlipidemia in Rural North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia
Abstract
Background: Hyperlipidemia occurs when elevated levels of lipids are present in the blood and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke, two leading causes of death in the United States. The rural Southern United States has the largest mortality gap for stroke cases in the US, with 1.19 rural stroke deaths for every 1 urban stroke death from 1999-2020. As health disparities continue to grow in this population, research targeting social and behavioral factors as predictors of hyperlipidemia is needed. This study analyzes the relation of these factors to hyperlipidemia in rural North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a nationally representative U.S. telephone-based survey of adults aged 18 years and older, and extracted data for participants who resided in the states of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina (n=17,236). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the association between depression, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and high cholesterol (outcome). We controlled for income, race, educational status, health insurance status, and age. Results: Overall, participants in rural areas reported a higher prevalence of high cholesterol (41.9%) in comparison to urban areas (36.2%). Results of our logistic regression model revealed that participants from rural areas reported that depression (OR =1.47, 95% CI, 1.19, 1.81), and no past month exercise (OR=1.44, 95% CI, 1.21,1.76) were associated with high cholesterol. In urban areas, low income, less than high school education, male gender, depression, and no past month exercise were associated with high cholesterol. Conclusion: These findings reveal that risk factors to hyperlipidemia are distinct between rural and urban areas and are influenced by various social and behavioral determinants. While more comprehensive research is still needed, this study can help inform public health responses in rural regions.
Start Time
15-4-2026 11:00 AM
End Time
15-4-2026 12:00 PM
Room Number
271
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Presentation Subtype
UG Orals
Presentation Category
Health
Student Type
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Manik Ahuja
Risk and Protective Factors to Hyperlipidemia in Rural North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia
271
Background: Hyperlipidemia occurs when elevated levels of lipids are present in the blood and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and stroke, two leading causes of death in the United States. The rural Southern United States has the largest mortality gap for stroke cases in the US, with 1.19 rural stroke deaths for every 1 urban stroke death from 1999-2020. As health disparities continue to grow in this population, research targeting social and behavioral factors as predictors of hyperlipidemia is needed. This study analyzes the relation of these factors to hyperlipidemia in rural North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the 2021 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a nationally representative U.S. telephone-based survey of adults aged 18 years and older, and extracted data for participants who resided in the states of Tennessee, Virginia, and North Carolina (n=17,236). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to test the association between depression, physical activity, smoking, alcohol use, and high cholesterol (outcome). We controlled for income, race, educational status, health insurance status, and age. Results: Overall, participants in rural areas reported a higher prevalence of high cholesterol (41.9%) in comparison to urban areas (36.2%). Results of our logistic regression model revealed that participants from rural areas reported that depression (OR =1.47, 95% CI, 1.19, 1.81), and no past month exercise (OR=1.44, 95% CI, 1.21,1.76) were associated with high cholesterol. In urban areas, low income, less than high school education, male gender, depression, and no past month exercise were associated with high cholesterol. Conclusion: These findings reveal that risk factors to hyperlipidemia are distinct between rural and urban areas and are influenced by various social and behavioral determinants. While more comprehensive research is still needed, this study can help inform public health responses in rural regions.
