Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Department of Human Geography and Spatial Planning, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Eur J Public Health. 2018 Aug 1;28(4):597-603. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckx212.
Why lower socioeconomic groups behave less healthily can only partly be explained by direct costs of behaving healthily. We hypothesize that low income increases the risk of facing financial strain. Experiencing financial strain takes up cognitive 'bandwidth' and leads to less self-control, and subsequently results in more unhealthy behaviour. We therefore aim to investigate (i) whether a low income increases the likelihood of experiencing financial strain and of unhealthy behaviours, (ii) to what extent more financial strain is associated with less self-control and, subsequently, (iii) whether less self-control is related to more unhealthy behaviour.
Cross-sectional survey data were obtained from participants (25-75 years) in the fifth wave of the Dutch GLOBE study (N = 2812) in 2014. The associations between income, financial strain, self-control and health-behaviour-related outcomes (physical inactivity in leisure-time, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol intake, and weekly fruit and vegetable intake) were analysed with linear regression and generalized linear regression models (log link).
Experiencing great compared with no financial strain increased the risk of all health-behaviour-related outcomes, independent of income. Low self-control, as compared with high self-control, also increased the risk of an unhealthy lifestyle. Taking self-control into account slightly attenuated the associations between financial strain and the outcomes.
Great financial strain and low self-control are consistently associated with unhealthy behaviours. Self-control may partly mediate between financial strain and unhealthy behaviour. Interventions that relieve financial strain may free up cognitive bandwidth and improve health behaviour.
为什么社会经济地位较低的群体行为不太健康，这不能仅仅用健康行为的直接成本来解释。我们假设低收入增加了面临经济压力的风险。经历经济压力会占用认知“带宽”，导致自我控制能力下降，从而导致更多的不健康行为。因此，我们旨在调查：（i）低收入是否会增加经历经济压力和不健康行为的可能性；（ii）多大程度的经济压力与较低的自我控制能力有关；以及，（iii）较低的自我控制能力是否与更多的不健康行为有关。
2014 年，我们从荷兰 GLOBE 研究第五波（N=2812）的参与者中获得了横断面调查数据（年龄 25-75 岁）。我们使用线性回归和广义线性回归模型（对数链接）分析了收入、经济压力、自我控制与健康行为相关结果（休闲时间不运动、肥胖、吸烟、过量饮酒以及每周水果和蔬菜摄入量）之间的关联。
与没有经济压力相比，经历较大的经济压力增加了所有与健康行为相关的结果的风险，而与收入无关。与高自我控制相比，低自我控制也增加了不健康生活方式的风险。考虑到自我控制，略微减弱了经济压力与结果之间的关联。
巨大的经济压力和低自我控制与不健康行为密切相关。自我控制可能在一定程度上介导了经济压力与不健康行为之间的关系。缓解经济压力的干预措施可能会释放认知带宽并改善健康行为。
