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Intergenerational educational mobility is associated with cardiovascular disease risk behaviours in a cohort of young Australian adults: The Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH) Study
Citation
Gall, SL and Abbott-Chapman, JA and Patton, GC and Dwyer, T and Venn, A, Intergenerational educational mobility is associated with cardiovascular disease risk behaviours in a cohort of young Australian adults: The Childhood Determinants of Adult Health (CDAH) Study , BMC Public Health, 10, (55) EJ ISSN 1471-2458 (2010) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
© 2010 Gall et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0),
Official URL: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/10/55
DOI: doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-55
Abstract
Background: Although educational disparity has been linked to single risk behaviours, it has not previously been
studied as a predictor of overall lifestyle. We examined if current education, parental education or educational
mobility between generations was associated with healthy lifestyles in young Australian adults.
Methods: In 2004-06, participant and parental education (high [bachelor degree or higher], intermediate
[vocational training], low [secondary school only]) were assessed. Educational mobility was defined as: stable high
(participant and parent in high group), stable intermediate (participant and parent in intermediate group), stable
low (participant and parent in low group), downwardly (lower group than parent) and upwardly (higher group
than parent) mobile. We derived a lifestyle score from 10 healthy behaviours (BMI, non-smoking, alcohol
consumption, leisure time physical activity and six components of diet). Scores >4 indicated a high healthy lifestyle
score. We estimated the likelihood of having a high healthy lifestyle score by education (participant and parent)
and educational mobility.
Results: Complete data were available for 1973 participants (53% female, age range 26 to 36 years). Those with
lower education were less likely to have healthy lifestyles. Parental education was not associated with having a
high healthy lifestyle score after adjustment for participant’s education. Those who moved upward or downward
were as likely to have a high healthy lifestyle score as those in the group they attained.
Conclusions: We found clear disparities in health behaviour by participant education and intergenerational
educational mobility. People attaining a higher level of education than their parents appeared protected from
developing an unhealthy lifestyle suggesting that population-wide improvements in education may be important
for health.
Item Details
| Item Type: | Refereed Article |
|---|---|
| Research Division: | Health Sciences |
| Research Group: | Epidemiology |
| Research Field: | Epidemiology not elsewhere classified |
| Objective Division: | Health |
| Objective Group: | Clinical health |
| Objective Field: | Clinical health not elsewhere classified |
| UTAS Author: | Gall, SL (Associate Professor Seana Gall) |
| UTAS Author: | Abbott-Chapman, JA (Professor Joan Abbott-Chapman) |
| UTAS Author: | Dwyer, T (Professor Terry Dwyer) |
| UTAS Author: | Venn, A (Professor Alison Venn) |
| ID Code: | 65901 |
| Year Published: | 2010 |
| Web of Science® Times Cited: | 45 |
| Deposited By: | Menzies Institute for Medical Research |
| Deposited On: | 2010-12-09 |
| Last Modified: | 2011-05-02 |
| Downloads: | 529 View Download Statistics |
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