University of Sheffield

Academic Institute

OFHS250177

This study is part of a PhD project funded by the Wellcome Trust. The aim of the study is to understand how a person’s background affects their chances of being diagnosed with heart disease or dying from heart disease. The study will look at differences in heart disease diagnoses and related deaths among women. It will consider the impact of combinations of background factors such as ethnicity, income, and level of education. The study will also explore whether risk factors affect different groups of women in different ways. Risk factors are things that increase the chance of developing heart disease. These include smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, illness, and stress. The findings will help future research talk to people directly and better understand how social and life experiences affect heart health. How different are rates of heart disease for different groups of women? Which groups of women experience the highest (and lowest) rates of heart disease diagnosis? Which groups of women are more likely to die from heart disease? Are the patterns the same as diagnosis? How much do known risk factors account for differences we see between groups? Do answers vary depending on where a person lives? Heart disease is one of the main causes of death and illness for women worldwide and in the UK. However, there is much less research on women with heart disease because many people still believe it mainly affects men. Risk factors also tend to be based on men. Because of this, women are often diagnosed later, which can lead to worse health outcomes. This tends to be worse when women also face disadvantage. Most studies only focus on one background factor at a time, such as gender, income or race. This can miss the real experiences of people who belong to more than one group. Studies also often treat all women as the same, ignoring differences between women from different backgrounds. There are not many studies that look at these combined factors in heart disease and most of the ones that do are from outside the UK, so they do not fully apply to the UK’s population. This study will explore how gender, education, and other factors affect heart disease diagnoses in women in the UK. The goal is to understand why some women get heart disease more than others and find better ways to prevent and diagnose it.

Heart disease is a major cause of illness and early death in the UK, but not everyone is affected in the same way. Some groups, like women and those in poorer areas, often miss out on proper check-ups or get care later than others. This shows that we need to understand better who is at higher risk and why. This study will help by examining how different background factors, such as gender, race, age, education, and income, are related to differences in heart disease diagnoses and death rates. Instead of looking at these factors one by one, the research will show how they all work together to affect people's lives. The study aims to benefit the public by exploring which groups may be at a higher risk of heart disease. This information can help decision-makers focus prevention and support where it is needed most. It can also lead to fairer and more accurate ways of checking for and treating heart disease. By understanding who current methods overlook, this research can support better prevention, and reduce unfair differences in heart health for everyone.

Public Health Research

16/10/2026

16/06/2026

TRE