It is clear that there are social and economic inequalities among people, which arise from a variety of differences determined by the economic position of the individual in relation to others, which depend on economic income, educational level, employment status or profession, and race. These disparities have an impact on people’s health.
In general, individuals of low socioeconomic status live in more depressed areas and have a higher prevalence of unfavorable health-related behaviors that carry a greater risk of morbidity and mortality. The health behavior model of the 1980s had already argued that the most unhealthy habits such as smoking, eating low amounts of fruits and vegetables, or a sedentary lifestyle were most prevalent in the lower social classes.
If we want to know how to reduce health inequalities, it is important to understand the interplay between socioeconomic status and health behaviors to determine future health at the global level. Sedentary behaviors or level of physical activity do not escape this interaction with socioeconomic level. So much so that in 2020, a working group of the World Health Organization (WHO) has already identified a knowledge gap in understanding the role of socioeconomic level in the relationship between physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and health, an issue considered essential to reduce health inequalities.
An inverse relationship between socioeconomic level and level of physical activity has been proven, although there are limitations. This means that people with a higher level of education, better jobs, and a higher level of income have higher levels of physical activity overall. Conversely, the level of physical activity is lower in people with a lower level of education and lower income. Even for similar exposure to risk factors, groups with lower socioeconomic status have worse overall health indicators; This phenomenon is known as the vulnerability hypothesis.
We can then believe, in line with this hypothesis, that this detrimental association between low levels of physical activity and high sedentary behavior with negative health implications is stronger in groups of lower socioeconomic status. newly Stady With more than 300,000 participants aged 40 to 69 years, this confirms the vulnerability hypothesis regarding physical activity. This study suggests that unhealthy behaviors, especially a sedentary lifestyle, may cause more harm in lower socioeconomic groups. This vulnerability hypothesis is also maintained at older ages. For example, A Systematic review Which analyzes the effects of socioeconomic status on how retirement affects physical activity and sedentary behaviors suggests that retirement has a more positive effect on groups with higher socioeconomic status.
he Environmental model Which attempts to explain why some people are active, while others are not, assumes that the physical and social environment (economic conditions, social norms, urbanization, industrialization…) are important determinants of physical activity. Although there is still not enough research to fully understand the relationship between socioeconomic level and physical activity, it seems clear that more disadvantaged socioeconomic environments are not conducive to initiating or maintaining healthy lifestyles associated with physical activity that promote good overall health.
For this reason, public health interventions targeting physical activity and sedentary behavior should focus on people and regions of lower socioeconomic status to reduce and narrow health inequalities. Furthermore, these interventions could be those that offer a greater benefit/cost return.
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