Background
Earlier research suggests that socioeconomic inequalities in health-related behaviours exist among young people, but with less clearcut patterns than among adults. The aim of the study is to examine to what extent sociodemographic inequalities in health behaviours in terms of alcohol use, smoking, physical inactivity, and regularly skipping breakfast and lunch, exist among adolescents in Sweden.
Methods
The data were obtained from the Swedish Living Conditions Survey (ULF) and its child supplements (Child-ULF) from 2008-2011 (n = 4001). Health-related behaviours were reported by adolescents aged 10-18 years and information on sociodemographic characteristics was derived from parents and from official registers. Binary logistic regression analyses were conducted.
Results
Clear sociodemographic inequalities in health-related behaviours were shown. Compared with their peers with parents in upper non-manual occupations, adolescents in working-class households were more likely to smoke (OR 1.53, p = 0.033), to be physically inactive (OR 1.54, p = 0.004), and to regularly skip breakfast (OR 1.78, p = 0.000) and lunch (OR 1.42, p = 0.011). Adolescents in households lacking a cash margin were more inclined to smoke (OR 1.47, p = 0.033) and to skip breakfast (OR 1.62, p = 0.000) as well as to skip lunch (OR 1.31, p = 0.041) than those in better off households. Not living in a nuclear family was linked with a higher risk of drinking alcohol (OR 1.57, p = 0.002), smoking (OR 2.32, p = 0.000), and skipping breakfast (OR 1.54, p = 0.000) and lunch (OR 1.55, p = 0.000). Adolescents with foreign-born parents were more likely to be physically inactive (OR 1.67, p = 0.001) and to regularly skip breakfast (OR 1.55, p = 0.002) compared with those whose parents were born in Sweden.
Conclusions
Sociodemographic inequalities in health-related behaviours clearly exist among adolescents in Sweden, along lines of household social class, financial strain, family structure and parental country of birth.