Research report
Social inequalities in health related behaviours in Barcelona
Carme Borrell, Felicitas Domínguez-Berjón, M Isabel Pasarín, Josep Ferrando, Izabella Rohlfs, Manel Nebot
Municipal Institute
of Public Health. Barcelona, Spain
Correspondence to: Dr C Borrell, Municipal Institute of Public Health, Pl Lesseps 1, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
Accepted for publication 24 May 1999
OBJECTIVE
This study
describes social class inequalities in health related behaviours
(tobacco and alcohol consumption, physical activity) among a sample of
general population over 14 years old in Barcelona.
DESIGNCross sectional
study (Barcelona Health Interview Survey).
SETTINGBarcelona city (Spain).
PARTICIPANTSA
representative stratified sample of the non-institutionalised
population resident in Barcelona was obtained. This study refers to the
4171 respondents aged over 14.
DATASocial
class was obtained from a Spanish adaptation of the British Registrar
General classification. In addition, sociodemographic variables such as
family structure and employment status were used. As health related
behaviours tobacco consumption, alcohol consumption, usual physical
activity and leisure time physical activity were analysed. Age adjusted
percentages were compared by social class. Multivariate analysis was
performed using logistic regression models.
MAIN RESULTSWomen in
the upper social classes were more likely to smoke, the adjusted odds
ratio (OR) for social class V in reference to social class I was 0.36 (95% confidence intervals (95%CI): 0.19, 0.67), while the opposite
occurred among men although it was not statistically significant in
multivariate analysis. Smoking cessation was more likely among men in
the higher classes (OR for class V 0.41, 95%CI: 0.18, 0.90). Excessive
alcohol consumption among men showed no differences between classes,
while among women it was greater in the upper classes. Engaging in
usual physical activity classified as "light or none" in men
decreased with lowering social class (OR class IVa: 0.55 and OR class
IVb: 0.47). Women of social classes IV and V were less likely to have
two or more health risk behaviours (OR for class V 0.33, 95% CI: 0.18, 0.62).
CONCLUSIONHealth
damaging behaviours are differentially distributed among social classes
in Barcelona. Health policies should take into account these inequalities.
Keywords: health related behaviours; social class; health survey
© 2000 by Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health
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