Socioeconomic and behavioural impacts on health
Both socioeconomic issues (e.g., finances, housing, our job) and health behaviours (e.g., smoking, alcohol intake, diet) affect our health and our chances of developing or worsening a health problem (e.g., heart attack, diabetes, obesity).
Work at the University of Glasgow has examined how the risks from unhealthy behaviours might differ across socioeconomic groups, with more socioeconomically deprived populations experiencing disproportionately greater harm from unhealthy behaviours.
However, socioeconomic issues affect our ability to live in healthy ways and avoid unhealthy behaviours. Researchers at the University of Glasgow are now looking at how living in a healthy way can require a lot of work and how the amount of work required is often greater when we are experiencing challenging social and financial circumstances.
The work and cost of healthy living
A group of researchers at the University of Glasgow are looking at how social and financial issues affect our ability to live in healthy ways.
For example, the cost of food affects what we eat, while difficulty getting to our local park can affect how much exercise we get. There are many ways in which social and financial issues make it difficult to lead a life that helps us avoid health problems.
These issues can make it hard or impossible to follow advice from health workers trying to help us prevent long-term health conditions (like diabetes or obesity) from starting or getting worse.
For example, it might be unrealistic to quit smoking when our mood is low after experiencing a bereavement. Or it might be impossible for us to eat more fruit and veg when we can’t afford it. And we might want to join a physical activity class but can't if it’s too far away.
In other words, there are costs to living in healthy ways and it can take a lot of effort and work to live a healthy life.
The amount of work required to lead a healthy life tends to be greatest when we are experiencing challenging social or financial circumstances.
Of course, there are things that help us and make it easier too. Like having a friend that likes walking, having a new local swimming pool, getting a new job with a secure income, and having a mental health support worker who we trust - these are examples of things that can help us overcome socioeconomic challenges and avoid unhealthy behaviours to live in healthier ways.
Researchers are studying these costs, the work required, and the things that help us to live in healthy ways. But they need help with understanding their findings from the point of view of the public.
This animation explains more about the costs and work involved in living in healthy ways. If you would like to get involved in shaping this research please contact Dr Hamish Foster.
How is our health influenced by our daily choices?
Disproportionate harm from health behaviours
Studies from University of Glasgow have examined how the risk from a combination of unhealthy behaviours may not be equal - there may be what is called 'differential vulnerability' to unhealthy behaviours.
In other words, the same combination of unhealthy behaviours may have a greater negative health impact in less affluent populations. If this is true, this would be important as it would mean that efforts to support healthy ways of living should focus on less affluent sections of society.
The first of these studies examined how the risk of dying associated with nine unhealthy behaviours (smoking, high alcohol intake, low physical activity, high TV time, poor sleep, low intake of oily fish or fruits and vegetables, and high intake of red meat or processed meats) was higher than expected in more socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.
The second study designed a way of reviewing the wider evidence for whether there is a socioeconomic differential vulnerability to unhealthy behaviours.
The third study systematically reviewed pre-existing studies in this area - and found that there weren't many studies that looked for so called differential vulnerability to lots of unhealthy behaviours and the results of prior studies were mixed. However, overall, it still seemed that the health risks from unhealthy behaviours was greatest in less advantaged populations.
Future planned work will examine an even wider set of health behaviours (including factors such as being socially active), different socioeconomic factors, different datasets and countries, and the impact on different health problems (e.g., dementia, chronic kidney disease).
Overall, we want to:
- build a detailed picture of the risks associated with combinations of unhealthy behaviours in populations affected by socioeconomic disadvantage
- deepen our understanding of how and why social and financial issues affect our ability to lead healthy lives
- create new and better supports and policies that make leading a healthy life easier for everyone