Why are there social gradients in preventative health behavior? A perspective from behavioral ecology.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Within affluent populations, there are marked socioeconomic gradients in health behavior, with people of lower socioeconomic position smoking more, exercising less, having poorer diets, complying less well with therapy, using medical services less, ignoring health and safety advice more, and being less health-conscious overall, than their more affluent peers. Whilst the proximate mechanisms underlying these behavioral differences have been investigated, the ultimate causes have not.

Methodology/principal findings

This paper presents a theoretical model of why socioeconomic gradients in health behavior might be found. I conjecture that lower socioeconomic position is associated with greater exposure to extrinsic mortality risks (that is, risks that cannot be mitiga

SUBMITTER: Nettle D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2954172 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature