To examine i nequalities in health behaviors and psychosocial factors in Northern Italy. Methods: The study was based on a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) of 4 002 non-institutionalized adults livin g in the Veneto region of Italy. Results: Cigarette smoking, binge drinking, fruit and vegetables consumption and stress failed to show a social gradient. Only physical activity was significantly associated with social class. Stress was a significant predictor of physical inactivity, smoking and low fruit and vegetable i ntake. Lack of emotional support was associated with smoking and physical inactivity among males, and low fruit and vegetable intake for both genders. Conclusions: Three proposed explanations may account for the lack of consistent social gradient of health behaviors in Northern Italy: a) socio-economic context; b) uncompleted epidemiological transition of behavioral risk factors across social classes; c) lack of systematic health promotion efforts. Future research is needed to examine the plausibility of such explanations.
The lack of social gradient of health behaviours and psychosocial factors in Northern Italy / R. DE VOGLI; R. GNESOTTO; M. GOLDSTEIN; R. ANDERSEN; G. CORNIA. - In: SOZIAL-UND PRAVENTIVMEDIZIN. - ISSN 0303-8408. - ELETTRONICO. - 50:(2005), pp. 197-205. [10.1007/s00038-005-4025-2]
The lack of social gradient of health behaviours and psychosocial factors in Northern Italy
CORNIA, GIOVANNI ANDREA
2005
Abstract
To examine i nequalities in health behaviors and psychosocial factors in Northern Italy. Methods: The study was based on a computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) of 4 002 non-institutionalized adults livin g in the Veneto region of Italy. Results: Cigarette smoking, binge drinking, fruit and vegetables consumption and stress failed to show a social gradient. Only physical activity was significantly associated with social class. Stress was a significant predictor of physical inactivity, smoking and low fruit and vegetable i ntake. Lack of emotional support was associated with smoking and physical inactivity among males, and low fruit and vegetable intake for both genders. Conclusions: Three proposed explanations may account for the lack of consistent social gradient of health behaviors in Northern Italy: a) socio-economic context; b) uncompleted epidemiological transition of behavioral risk factors across social classes; c) lack of systematic health promotion efforts. Future research is needed to examine the plausibility of such explanations.I documenti in FLORE sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.