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Socio-economic differences in health risk behaviour and attitudes towards health risk behaviour among Slovak adolescents

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Sozial- und Präventivmedizin

Summary

Objectives

Socio-economic differences in the frequency of smoking, alcohol consumption, drug use, physical exercise, and attitudes toward smoking were explored in an sample of Slovak adolescents (1 370 boys, 1 246 girls, mean age 15 years).

Methods

Identification of socio-economic status was based on three indicators: the highest educational level of parents, the highest occupational class of parents, and the type of school the adolescents attended.

Results

Health risk behaviour was strongly related to socioeconomic status based on all three socio-economic indicators, although there were some exceptions mostly related to education as indicator of socio-economic status and to alcohol consumption experience and drug use experience. The pattern of socio-economic differences was unfavourable for lower socio-economic groups of adolescents, except for differences in frequency of alcohol consumption among females when highest education of parents was used as an indicator of socio-economic status.

Conclusions

There are socio-economic differences in health risk behaviour. Lower socio-economic groups of adolescents behave riskily more frequently than higher socio-economic groups of adolescents.

Zusammenfassung

Ziele

Sozioökonomische Unterschiede bei den Häufigkeiten von Rauchen, Alkohol- und Drogengebrauch, körperlicher Aktivität und der Einstellung zum Rauchen wurden in einer Stichprobe slowakischer Jugendlichen untersucht (1 370 Knaben, 1 246 Mädchen, Alter im Mittel: 15 Jahre).

Methoden

Der sozialökonomische Status wurde mit drei Indikatoren gemessen: der höchste Ausbildungsgrad der Eltern, die höchste berufliche Stellung der Eltern und der von den Jugendlichen besuchte Schultyp.

Resultate

Gesundheitsbezogenes Verhalten korrelierte stark mit drei Indikatoren des sozialökonomischen Status, obwohl es auch einige Ausnahmen gab in Bezug auf Ausbildungsgrad und Erfahrungen mit Alkohol und Drogen. Das Muster der sozioökonomischen Unterschiede war ungünstig für die unteren sozioökonomischen Schichten, ausser Unterschiede in Häufigkeit von Alkoholkonsum der Frauen, wenn der höchste Ausbildungsgrad der Eltern als Indikator für den sozialökonomischen Status im Modell aufgenommen war.

Schlussfolgerungen

Es gibt sozioökonomische Unterschiede beim gesundheitsbezogenen Risikoverhalten. Jugendliche aus den unteren sozioökonomischen Schichten verhalten sich risikoreicher.

Resumé

Objectif

On a examiné les différences socioéconomiques de la fréquence de fumer, de la consommation d'alcool, de l'usage de drogues, de l'exercice physique et d'attitudes par rapport au tabagisme dans un échantillon d'adolescents Slovaques (1 370 garçons, 1 246 filles, âge moyen: 15 ans).

Méthodes

La position socioéconomique est basée sur trois indicateurs: le plus haut niveau d'éducation des parents, la plus haute classe professionnelle des parents et le genre d'école que les adolescents suivent.

Résultats

Le comportement à risque pour la santé est fort associé à la position socioéconomique, basé sur les trois indicateurs socioéconomiques, bien qu'il y ait quelques exceptions, le plus souvent liées à l'éducation comme indicateur de la position socioéconomique et à l'expérience de la consommation d'alcool et l'expérience de l'usage de drogues. Les caractéristiques des différences socioéconomique étaient défavorables pour les adolescents qui appartiennent aux groupes socioéconomiques inférieures, excepté les différences de la fréquence de la consommation d'alcool entre filles lorsque l'éducation des parents était utilisée comme indicateur de la position socioéconomique.

Conclusion

Il y a des différences socioéconomiques de comportement de risque pour la santé. Les adolescents qui appartiennent aux groupes socioéconomiques bas ont des comportements plus à risque que les autres.

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Correspondence to Andrea Geckova.

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Geckova, A., van Dijk, J.P., Groothoff, J.W. et al. Socio-economic differences in health risk behaviour and attitudes towards health risk behaviour among Slovak adolescents. Soz Präventivmed 47, 233–239 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01326404

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