Table 3.
Differences Between Rural, Low-Income Adults in Oportunidades Communities and Those in Control Communities, Mexico
| Characteristic | Oportunidades (n = 5280) | Control (n = 1063) | P Valuea | Adjusted Effect (β)b (95% CI) | P Value for β |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Body mass | |||||
| BMI (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 26.57 (4.62) | 27.16 (4.79) | <.001 | –0.47 (–0.97 to 0.03) | .07 |
| % obese (BMI ≥30.0 kg/m2) | 20.28 | 25.31 | <.001 | –0.04 (–0.08 to 0.00) | .03 |
| % overweight (BMI ≥25.0 kg/m2) | 59.24 | 63.04 | .03 | –0.02 (–0.07 to 0.04) | .51 |
| Blood pressure and heart rate | |||||
| Systolic blood pressure, mm Hg, mean (SD) | 123.73 (16.56) | 124.47 (15.95) | .11 | –2.60 (–4.09 to –1.11) | <.001 |
| Diastolic blood pressure, mm Hg, mean (SD) | 81.55 (13.17) | 82.41 (13.54) | .03 | –2.84 (–4.38 to –1.30) | <.001 |
| Heart rate, beats per minute, mean (SD) | 76.27 (9.31) | 76.80 (9.40) | .10 | –0.88 (–1.93 to 0.18) | .18 |
| Uncontrolled hypertension, %c | 33.80 | 34.52 | .48 | –0.07 (–0.12 to –0.02) | .008 |
| Blood pressure checked within5 years before survey, % | 87.60 | 79.87 | <.001 | 0.06 (0.02 to 0.10) | .004 |
| No. of self-reported hypertension-related symptoms, mean (SD)d | 1.43 (1.37) | 1.71 (1.42) | <.001 | –0.24 (–0.37 to –0.11) | <.001 |
| Self-reported health | |||||
| Medium-effort ADL, %e | 94.66 | 92.32 | .005 | 0.03 (0.01 to 0.05) | .03 |
| Heavy-effort ADL, %f | 92.11 | 91.58 | .63 | 0.01 (–0.01 to 0.04) | .31 |
| No. of sick days in past 4 weeks (SD) | 3.42 (6.81) | 4.23 (7.45) | <.001 | –0.48 (–1.16 to 0.19) | .16 |
| No. of days unable to do ADL (SD) | 1.03 (3.42) | 1.52 (4.06) | <.001 | –0.55 (–0.85 to –0.25) | <.001 |
CI indicates confidence interval; BMI, body mass index; ADL, activities of daily living.
P value reported for differences between means or proportions generated with regressions controlling for age and sex, clustered at the community level.
Random effects regression was used, clustering at the community level. Sample size was within 50 observations of n = 5280 adults in Oportunidades communities and n = 1063 adults in comparison communities, although actual number varies by dependent variable. Regressions were adjusted for more than 50 variables (those listed in Tables 1 and 2), including individual-level variables (e.g., age, sex, education, marital status), household-level variables (e.g., household size, demographic structure, economic status), and community-level variables (e.g., proportion of community with indigenous population, presence of electricity in community).
Systolic blood pressure ≥140 mm Hg or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mm Hg.
Headaches, dizziness, buzzing in the ears, seeing lights without apparent reason, nosebleeds without apparent reason.
Able to work on a farm, work in a garden, or sweep.
Able to run or lift a heavy object.