25/04/2025
Congratulations to our Dr. Galatia Photiou for her PhD Final Exam and Presentation
Yesterday (24/04) at the Cyprus International Institute for Environmental and Public Health premises, the final PhD defense examination took place for the PhD Candidate in Public Health, Galatia Photiou. ✅
Doctoral presentation title:
Decoding the effect of social gradient and area indicators on arterial health: (DEpICT)
From the community to the individual and back
Abstract :
Arterial stiffness, as measured by pulse wave velocity (PWV), is a robust indicator of arterial health as well as CVD events and all-cause mortality in the general population. Socioeconomic status (SES) as well as local environmental and other social health indicators could affect cardiovascular risk so understanding where one lives (area-level risk factors) may provide important and additional information to how one lives (individual level risk factors), to best address arterial and cardiovascular health in a more holistic framework.
The DEpICT study is a cross-sectional population study in Limassol that aimed to assess the association between area-level risk factors and arterial stiffness over and above individual risk factors, as well as the association between arterial stiffness and diet, physical activity and physical and mental health. Area-level characteristics and social gradient were assessed using both census-based composite indices addressing ‘‘socioeconomic disadvantage’’ (SED) and “demographic and built environment’’(DBE), as well as self-reported assessments of participant’s neighborhoods using the Place Standard Tool (PST) addressing area-level dimensions such as mobility, public spaces, and social connections. Results from the study were presented and discussed highlighting the complex interplay between individual-level and area-level factors in influencing arterial stiffness, as measured by cfPWV.
