Intergenerational educational mobility is associated with cardiovascular disease risk behaviours in a cohort of young Australian adults: The Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH) Study

BMC Public Health

Research Article

Joan Abbott-Chapman¹  Seana L Gall²  Alison Venn²  Terence Dwyer³  George C Patton⁴ 

[1] Faculty of Education, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia;Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia;Menzies Research Institute, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia;Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia;Murdoch Childrens Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia;

关键词: Parental Education;    Leisure Time Physical Activity;    Socioeconomic Inequality;    Inverse Probability Weighting;    Participant Education;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-10-55

 received in 2009-09-28, accepted in 2010-02-02,  发布年份 2010

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundAlthough educational disparity has been linked to single risk behaviours, it has not previously been studied as a predictor of overall lifestyle. We examined if current education, parental education or educational mobility between generations was associated with healthy lifestyles in young Australian adults.MethodsIn 2004-06, participant and parental education (high [bachelor degree or higher], intermediate [vocational training], low [secondary school only]) were assessed. Educational mobility was defined as: stable high (participant and parent in high group), stable intermediate (participant and parent in intermediate group), stable low (participant and parent in low group), downwardly (lower group than parent) and upwardly (higher group than parent) mobile. We derived a lifestyle score from 10 healthy behaviours (BMI, non-smoking, alcohol consumption, leisure time physical activity and six components of diet). Scores >4 indicated a high healthy lifestyle score. We estimated the likelihood of having a high healthy lifestyle score by education (participant and parent) and educational mobility.ResultsComplete data were available for 1973 participants (53% female, age range 26 to 36 years). Those with lower education were less likely to have healthy lifestyles. Parental education was not associated with having a high healthy lifestyle score after adjustment for participant's education. Those who moved upward or downward were as likely to have a high healthy lifestyle score as those in the group they attained.ConclusionsWe found clear disparities in health behaviour by participant education and intergenerational educational mobility. People attaining a higher level of education than their parents appeared protected from developing an unhealthy lifestyle suggesting that population-wide improvements in education may be important for health.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Gall et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2010