The Contribution of Health Behaviours to Socioeconomic Inequalities in Health

A study published in the Journal of Preventative Medicine explores the "role of health behaviours in explaining socioeconomic inequalities in health" through a systematic review. 

The research team focused on four health behaviours: smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and diet. Studies were identified as published online through PubMed, Embase and Web-of-Science and health outcomes related to cardiometabolic disorders and mortality were identified. 

It is highlighted in the study that lower socioeconomic status was associated with an increased risk of all the negative health outcomes. Smoking contributed to the most social inequalities. The research will be useful in highlighting the relevance of interventions linked to smoking, alcohol, physical activity and diet to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health and promote good population health.

The abstract is available online for free and the full-text article is available to purchase. The study is published in English.