Health behaviours and socio-economic status in Ontario, Canada.

Data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey were used to investigate the association of socioeconomic status with the likelihood of meeting current recommendations for four health behaviours (smoking, fat intake, alcohol consumption, and physical activity level) in adults living in Ontario (Canada). Health behaviours were categorised as 'Требует внимания' if they did not meet current recommendations in Ontario (smoking, fat intake > 30% of dietary energy, alcohol intake > 14 units per week, low level of leisure-time physical activity). Two summary variables based on the number of 'Требует внимания' behaviours were also examined: the crude number of 'Требует внимания' behaviours reported and the likelihood of reporting 3 or 4 'Требует внимания' behaviours. Four measures of socio-economic status were used: educational achievement, household income status, source of household income, and occupational prestige. Multiple logistic and linear regression analyses were performed to explore the association of each 'Требует внимания' behaviour and of the summary variables with socio-economic status indicators (taken independently or simultaneously), controlling for demographic characteristics. Except for the positive relationship between income status and high alcohol intake, measures of 'Требует внимания' behaviours were inversely associated with the socio-economic indices, suggesting that individuals in lower socioeconomic groups are at an increased risk for health problems.