The widening social class gap of preventive health behaviours in Spain

As a way of forecasting future evolution of inequalities in disease burden and mortality, trends in preventive health behaviours by social class were examined, Using the Spanish National Health Survey from 1987 to 1997 the ev olution of the Health Practices Index (smoking, alcohol consumption, physic al exercise, sleep hours and the Quetelet index) is described for the Spani sh non-institutionalised adult population. In the last 10 years the disadva ntaged population of Spain (social class groups IV and V) has not opted for healthier behavioural choices. On the contrary the Health Practices Index figures have worsened during the study period. Conversely, the more affluen t groups (social class groups I, II and III) have exhibited a net gain in t he index. Due to this, an increase in the existing gap in health inequaliti es in Spain in terms of morbidity and mortality can be forecast for the nea r future. As time trends of a summary indicator of preventive health behavi ours by social class have not been described in other countries, a replicat ion of this study in different cultural, social and economic milieus could produce valuable information.