[Correlation between educational status, chronic diseases and cardiovascular risk factors in young adults 18-29 years of age: results of a 1998 comprehensive German health survey].
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study is to investigate the association between educational attainment and the prevalence of chronic diseases and cardiovascular risk factors for the German population aged 18-29 years.


METHODS
The data source is the Federal Health Survey 1998 (BGS98), which is representative for Germany. The response rate for the survey is 61.4%. Included in the analysis are 616 females and 637 males. Indicator for educational atteinment is the highest achieved school degree ("Abitur" n = 375, "mittlere Reife" n = 566, "Hauptschule" n = 312).


RESULTS
For eight of the 43 items for self-reported diseases in the BGS98-questionnaire persons in the age group 18-29 yielded a higher prevalence than older adults. For altogether 11 diseases, which showed a prevalence greater than 3% in the age group 18-29 years, only minor associations with educational attainment were observed. Statistically significantly increased prevalences are observed for allergic disorders in persons with higher education and for long-term headache in persons with lower education. Regarding smoking, obesity and lack of sports activities remarkably and statistically significant education related differences are observed. The percentage of persons showing simultaneously two or three of these risk factors was 33% for study subjects with "Hauptschulabschluss" compared to only 8% for study subjects with "Abitur".


CONCLUSIONS
Educational attainment is still a strong predictor for health behaviour. This finding should be considered in future health promotion compaigns.
Helmert
U
U
Zentrum für Sozialpolitik, Universität Bremen. uhelmert@zes.uni-bremen.de
Merzenich
H
H
Bammann
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors
Der Zusammenhang zwischen Bildungsstatus, chronischen Krankheiten und kardiovaskulären Risikofaktoren bei jungen Erwachsenen im Alter von 18 bis 29 Jahren: Ergebnisse des Bundesgesundheitssurveys 1998.