Abstract
Background and aim
Low socioeconomic status (SES) and frequent sauna bathing are associated with increased and decreased risk of all-cause mortality, respectively. Whether there is an interplay among SES, sauna bathing and all-cause mortality risk is not known. We aimed to evaluate the separate and joint associations of SES and frequency of sauna bathing (FSB) with all-cause mortality risk in a prospective cohort study.
Methods
We employed the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Study cohort comprising of 2575 men aged 42–61 years at study entry. Self-reported SES and sauna bathing habits were assessed at baseline. Socioeconomic status was categorized as low and high (median cutoff) and FSB as low and high (defined as ≤2 and 3–7 sessions/week, respectively).
Results
During a median follow-up of 27.8 years, 1618 deaths occurred. Comparing low vs high SES, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95 % CI) for all-cause mortality was 1.31 (1.18–1.45). Comparing high vs low FSB, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95 % CI) for all-cause mortality was 0.86 (0.76–0.97). Compared with high SES-low FSB, low SES-low FSB was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality 1.35 (1.20–1.51), without significant evidence of an association for low SES-high FSB and all-cause mortality risk 1.07 (0.89–1.29). Positive additive and multiplicative interactions were found between SES and FSB.
Conclusions
There exists an interplay among SES, sauna bathing and all-cause mortality risk in a general Finnish male population. Frequent sauna baths may offset the increased overall mortality risk due to low SES.
Low socioeconomic status (SES) and frequent sauna bathing are associated with increased and decreased risk of all-cause mortality, respectively. Whether there is an interplay among SES, sauna bathing and all-cause mortality risk is not known. We aimed to evaluate the separate and joint associations of SES and frequency of sauna bathing (FSB) with all-cause mortality risk in a prospective cohort study.
Methods
We employed the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Study cohort comprising of 2575 men aged 42–61 years at study entry. Self-reported SES and sauna bathing habits were assessed at baseline. Socioeconomic status was categorized as low and high (median cutoff) and FSB as low and high (defined as ≤2 and 3–7 sessions/week, respectively).
Results
During a median follow-up of 27.8 years, 1618 deaths occurred. Comparing low vs high SES, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95 % CI) for all-cause mortality was 1.31 (1.18–1.45). Comparing high vs low FSB, the multivariable-adjusted HR (95 % CI) for all-cause mortality was 0.86 (0.76–0.97). Compared with high SES-low FSB, low SES-low FSB was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality 1.35 (1.20–1.51), without significant evidence of an association for low SES-high FSB and all-cause mortality risk 1.07 (0.89–1.29). Positive additive and multiplicative interactions were found between SES and FSB.
Conclusions
There exists an interplay among SES, sauna bathing and all-cause mortality risk in a general Finnish male population. Frequent sauna baths may offset the increased overall mortality risk due to low SES.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 111906 |
| Journal | Experimental Gerontology |
| Volume | 167 |
| Early online date | 28 Jul 2022 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Oct 2022 |