Year: 2011
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: This study was carried out as a part of the Finbalt Health Monitor, a collaborative project between Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania.The purpose of the report is to describe ten-year trends and socio-demographic differences in smoking, alcohol consumption, food habits, physical activity, Body Mass Index and behaviours related to traffic safety, as well as, self-assessed health in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania during 1998-2008.Finbalt collaboration started gradually in the early 1990s.The data of this study originate from health behaviour surveys carried out in all Baltic countries and Finland every second year since 1998.The cross-sectional surveys are based on random samples from the national population registers.The survey questionnaire comprises of both questions shared with all countries and questions of local interest.The shared questions have been repeated in similar form in every survey.The results indicate more similarities than differences in health behaviours between countries.Especially in regard to smoking, food habits and traffic behaviours the differences between Finland and the Baltic countries have diminished, as the behaviours have become healthier in the Baltic countries.Moreover, the countries seem to be approaching each other in regard to the socio-demographic patterns in health behaviours and self-reported health.This rapprochement is a significant progress, as the starting point of the Finbalt Health Monitor in the 1990s was the contrast in health conditions around the Baltic Sea, Finland showing increase and the Baltic countries decrease in life-expectancy.There remain, however, several public health concerns that need effective action in all countries.The results do not show diminishing gender or socio-economic differences.The low educated are more often daily and passive smokers, eat less vegetables, are less physically active and assess their health less often as good compared to the higher educated.Daily smoking, frequent heavy episodic drinking and high volume of alcohol consumption are more common among men than women in all countries.In addition, women eat more vegetables, are less often overweight, and are more physically active while commuting compared to men.The result of diminished differences between the countries is in line with the assumption that social, economic and political changes influence health behaviours.During the last decade all countries have experienced economic growth, identification to the Western European economies and adaptation of the national systems to the European Union, the process having however started earlier in Finland than in the Baltic countries.These changes might have had an effect on health behaviours through increases in material living standard, reforms in health care systems and integration in European health policies and health promotion.Despite the positive overall picture of health behaviours, the results are alarming in regard to socio-economic and gender differences, high levels of alcohol consumption, increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity and insufficient physical activity.In order to tackle health inequalities in Estonia, Finland, Latvia and Lithuania, the countries should pay more attention to policy measures that improve chances for health-enhancing behaviours among men and lower educational groups.
Language: French
Topic: Health and Lifestyle Studies
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funder: Public Health Agency
OpenAlex ID: W1277910175