Occupation, education, and income as socioeconomic indicators in relation to cardiovascular risk factors in the urban African.

A yardstick is needed for measuring the medical consequences of socioeconomic change in developing countries. Education, income, and a newly developed occupation index were studied in urban African males in relation to six coronary artery disease risk factors. Occupation was the status indicator best known to a man's family, correlated best with the risk factors, and was not age dependent.