HEALTH BEHAVIORS AND SOCIOECONOMIC-STATUS IN ONTARIO, CANADA

Data from the 1990 Ontario Health Survey were used to investigate the association of socioeconomic status with the likelihood of meeting cur rent recommendations for four health behaviours (smoking, fat intake, alcohol consumption, and physical activity level) in adults living in Ontario (Canada), Health behaviours were categorised as 'unhealthy' if they did not meet current recommendations in Ontario (smoking, fat in take > 30% of dietary energy, alcohol intake > 14 units per week, low level of leisure-time physical activity). Two summary variables based on the number of 'unhealthy' behaviours were also examined: the crude number of 'unhealthy' behaviours reported and the likelihood of report ing 3 or 4 'unhealthy' behaviours. Four measures of socio-economic sta tus were used: educational achievement, household income status, sourc e of household income, and occupational prestige. Multiple logistic an d linear regression analyses were performed to explore the association of each 'unhealthy' behaviour and of the summary variables with socio -economic status indicators (taken independently or simultaneously), c ontrolling for demographic characteristics. Except for the positive re lationship between income status and high alcohol intake, measures of 'unhealthy' behaviours were inversely associated with the socio-econom ic indices, suggesting that individuals in lower socioeconomic groups are at an increased risk for health problems.