Health behaviour and risk behaviour: Socioeconomic differences in an Austrian rural county

The aim of this study is to illustrate the impact of socioeconomic differences on two basic kinds of health-related behaviour defined as health behaviour (HB) and risk behaviour (RB). We analysed data derived from a health survey on health-related behaviour and self-reported morbidity in relation to demographic and socioeconomic factors. The survey consists of a random sample of 27,344 individuals taken from 79 communities from the rural population of Styria (Austria). Using directly standardised indicators both HB and RB revealed clear but inverse associations with education, SES and gender. HB rises and RB falls with years of schooling completed. HB is higher in women (103.5 versus 95.0, phealth behaviour risk behaviour education socioeconomic status context Austria

Gastro-Intestinal Complaints Related to Various Eating Behaviors

Background: Many studies report a beneficial health effect as well as a lower mortality rate for individuals following diets containing lots of fruits and vegetables. Results of studies on abdominal, and colon diseases are, however, inconsistent. Therefore, the aim of our study was to analyze differences between various eating behaviors and the incidence of gastro-intestinal complaints.Methods: The sample used for this study was taken from the Austrian Health Interview Survey ATHIS 2006/07 (N=14 318). Logistic regressions were calculated controlling for age, BMI, and physical activity to analyze differences regarding the incidence of gastric or intestinal ulcer, abdominal pain, and specific medication taken due to these complaints.Results: A lacto-/ovo-, as well as a semi-vegetarian diet is associated with a higher risk for gastrointestinal complaints. The odds ratio for gastric or intestinal ulcer, and the intake of specific medication is significantly higher for these diets.Conclusion: A carnivorous diet containing also lots of fruits and vegetables is recommended to avoid abdominal complaints. Furthermore, public health programs are needed in order to reduce the health risk due to nutritional factors