The association between educational attainment chronic diseases, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults aged 18 to 29 years: resultsof the Federal Health Survey 1998

Citation
U. Helmert et al., The association between educational attainment chronic diseases, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in young adults aged 18 to 29 years: resultsof the Federal Health Survey 1998, SOZ PRAVENT, 46(5), 2001, pp. 320-328
Citations number
28
Categorie Soggetti
Envirnomentale Medicine & Public Health
Journal title
SOZIAL-UND PRAVENTIVMEDIZIN
ISSN journal
03038408 → ACNP
Volume
46
Issue
5
Year of publication
2001
Pages
320 - 328
Database
ISI
SICI code
0303-8408(2001)46:5<320:TABEAC>2.0.ZU;2-1
Abstract
The association between educational attainment, chronic diseases, and cardi ovascular disease risk factors in young adults aged 18 to 29 years: results of the Federal Health Survey 1998 Objectives: The aim of the study is to i nvestigate the association between educational attainment and the prevalenc e of chronic diseases and cardiovascular risk factors for the German popula tion aged 18-29 years. Methods: The data source is the Federal Health Survey 1998 (BGS98), which i s representative for Germany. The response rate for the survey is 61.4%. In cluded in the analysis are 616 females and 637 males. Indicator for educati onal atteinment is the highest achieved school degree ("Abitur" n = 375, "m ittlere Reife" n = 566, "Hauptschule" n = 312). Results: For eight of the 43 items for self-reported diseases in the BGS98- questionnaire persons in the age group 18-29 yielded a higher prevalence th an older adults. For altogether 11 diseases, which showed a prevalence grea ter than 3% in the age group 18-29 years, only minor associations with educ ational attainment were observed. Statistically significantly increased pre valences are observed for allergic disorders in persons with higher educati on and for long-term headache in persons with lower education. Regarding sm oking, obesity and lack of sports activities remarkably and statistically s ignificant education related differences are observed. The percentage of pe rsons showing simultaneously two or three of these risk factors was 33% for study subjects with "Hauptschulabschluss" compared to only 8% for study su bjects with "Abitur". Conclusions: Educational attainment is still a strong predictor for health behaviour. This finding should be considered in future health promotion com paigns.