Hoveling Liza A, Alma Manna A, Landsman-Dijkstra Jeanet A, Smidt Nynke, Reijneveld Sijmen A, Bültmann Ute, De Kroon Marlou L A
Department of Epidemiology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
Department of Health Sciences, Applied Health Research, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.
Front Public Health. 2025 May 21;13:1511317. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1511317. eCollection 2025.
Low socioeconomic position (SEP) increases the risk of health inequalities. Understanding how to realize lifestyle improvements in groups with low SEP may offer routes to reduce these inequalities, and information from professionals involved in this target can support this. Our aims were to gain insight into the professionals' perspectives on factors that influence the lifestyle of individuals with low SEP, and to identify promising approaches to reduce health inequalities.
Focus group interviews and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 social workers (partially in training), health care and policy professionals. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed following thematic analysis.
Four themes emerged from the data: individual factors, accumulating problems, social context and societal factors; for the second aim a fifth theme emerged: involvement of individuals with low SEP. Participants also indicated a hierarchy in these themes. Addressing accumulating multi-faceted issues such as poverty is imperative before a more healthy lifestyle can be adopted and individuals can focus on skills needed to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Additionally, the social context (e.g., parents or neighbours) can play a supportive role in lifestyle change, supported by government and with active involvement of low SEP individuals.
According to the professionals, to help individuals with low SEP to realize a healthier lifestyle, poverty, knowledge and skills, and the involvement of a person's social context and society should be addressed.
社会经济地位低下会增加健康不平等的风险。了解如何在社会经济地位低下的群体中实现生活方式的改善，可能会为减少这些不平等提供途径，而来自参与这一目标的专业人员的信息可以为此提供支持。我们的目的是深入了解专业人员对影响社会经济地位低下个体生活方式的因素的看法，并确定减少健康不平等的有效方法。
对28名社会工作者（部分为培训中的人员）、医疗保健和政策专业人员进行了焦点小组访谈和半结构化访谈。所有访谈均进行了录音，逐字转录，并按照主题分析进行了分析。
数据中出现了四个主题：个体因素、累积问题、社会背景和社会因素；为实现第二个目标，出现了第五个主题：社会经济地位低下个体的参与。参与者还指出了这些主题的层次结构。在采用更健康的生活方式以及个体能够专注于实现健康生活方式所需的技能之前，解决诸如贫困等多方面的累积问题至关重要。此外，社会背景（如父母或邻居）可以在生活方式改变中发挥支持作用，政府提供支持，社会经济地位低下的个体积极参与。
专业人员认为，要帮助社会经济地位低下的个体实现更健康的生活方式，应解决贫困、知识和技能以及个人社会背景和社会的参与问题。
