engleski

Association of formal education and health behaviours in Croatian adult population

Problem Recent researches demonstrate that multiple measures of socio-economic status are related to health, with both overlapping and separate effects. Level of education affects income but also can affect a person’s knowledge of how to promote health (nutrition, exercises, smoking, alcohol consumption, etc.). According National Consensus 2001, 11.9% of population has higher/high level of formal education, lower than in EU countries. The aim of this study was to explore the association between educational status and health habits among Croatian adult inhabitants. Research was done on randomly selected 8806 inhabitants in Croatian Health Survey 2003, older than 18 years. Respondents were classified into two groups according to educational status: a group with lower education (incomplete or complete primary and secondary school—86.4%) and a group with higher education (college or university level—13.6%). All analyses were done according to sex of the participants. Results Results indicate that the prevalence of smoking in Croatian adults is 40%, with sex differences (42.5% males:25.6% females). However, higher education of men is significantly associated with less smoking behaviour. Prevalence of alcohol consumption depends on sex (23.5% males:4.3% females) and also is associated with educational levels. Unhealthy diet is more present in males (49.6% males:37.9 females) in contrast with physical inactivity (26% males: 28.7% females). In summary, higher education of men is associated with less frequent alcohol consumption and smoking, and more frequent physical inactivity and unhealthy diet. Higher education of women was also associated with smoking and alcohol consumption but less frequent unhealthy diet and more frequent physical inactivity. Lessons Education affects health habits in different ways and is an important social determinant of health. There is a need for further research in sex differences. However, free access to and participation in the education system is prerequisites to achieving health benefits.

socio-economic status; health; education; social determinant of health

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