The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access originally published online on May 19, 2005
The European Journal of Public Health 2005 15(3):224-232; doi:10.1093/eurpub/cki005
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Health Inequalities |
The relative influence of individual and contextual socio-economic status on consumption of fruit and soft drinks among adolescents in Europe
Carine A. Vereecken1, Joanna Inchley2, S.V. Subramanian3, Anne Hublet1 and Lea Maes1
1 Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Belgium
2 Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit, University of Edinburgh, Scotland
3 Department of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
Correspondence: Carine Vereecken, Ghent University, Department of Public Health, University Hospital, Bloc A, 2nd floor, De Pintelaan 185, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, tel. +32 9 240 20 81, fax +32 9 240 49 94, Email: carine.vereecken{at}ugent.be
Background: The number of studies among children and adolescents that focus on socio-economic differences in food habits is limited. Moreover, most are done in only one country and often include a non-representative sample. The present study examines whether socio-economic differences in the consumption of fruit and soft drinks can be found among young adolescents in a wide range of European countries. Methods: Multilevel statistical analysis of 114 558 school-pupils aged 11, 13 and 15 from 28 countries participating in the WHO collaborative cross-national study of Health Behaviours among School-aged Children 2001–2002. The individual outcomes were daily fruit and soft drink consumption and the socio-economic predictors at the individual level were occupation of the head of household and family material wealth. Family material wealth was aggregated at the country level to operationalize country-level socio-economic status. Results: In general, girls and younger pupils consumed fruit more often and soft drinks less often. Significant between-school, between-country and between-region differences were found. Fruit consumption increased with family material wealth and higher parental occupational status. Soft drink consumption was lower among pupils of higher parental occupational status in Northern, Southern and Western European countries, but not in Central and Eastern European countries. Only in Central and Eastern European countries was a significant increase in soft drink consumption with increasing family affluence found. The country level of family affluence did not seem to have an effect on either outcome variable. Conclusion: The findings underscore the importance of socio-economic factors in relation to the food habits of young adolescents.
Keywords: adolescents, socio-economic status, food habits, multilevel
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