U. Hartel et al., EDUCATIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL CORRELATES O F CHANGES IN CIGARETTE-SMOKING AND ALCOHOL-CONSUMPTION - FINDINGS OF THE MONICA AUGSBURG COHORT STUDY, Sozial- und Praventivmedizin, 38(3), 1993, pp. 133-141
This study examined the influence of educational achievement and occup
ational position on changes in risk behavior. Study Population were 37
53 men and women aged 25 - 64 years who were sampled by the first MONI
CA Augsburg Survey (Monitoring trends and determinants in cardiovascul
ar disease). The subjects were sampled in 1984-85, were followed up fo
r three years, and were reexamined in 1987-88. The baseline findings s
howed for both men and women a statistically significant inverse assoc
iation between current cigarette smoking and educational level. During
the follow-up period the differences between highest and lowest educa
tional levels increased significantly among men. In 1987-88 only 21 %
of the best educated men were smokers compared to 38 % of those with t
he lowest educational level. Men with low educational levels also dran
k more alcohol than better educated men, whereas among women those wit
h lowest educational level drank less alcohol than the better educated
. Statistically independent of education and age it was found that mal
e civil servants and farmers had the lowest proportion of smokers in c
ross-sectional as well as longitudinal analyses. Among women, smoking
was and remained most prevalent in simple white-collar occupations. In
general, the findings indicate that the type of occupation and the ac
tual working conditions have effects on life-style related risk factor
s which are in part independent of a social gradient. The results also
suggest that the tendency to change unhealthy behavior is less pronou
nced in ,,high risk'' groups.