The Effects of Socioeconomic Status on Exercise and Smoking: Age-related Differences

The aim of this article is to examine the effects of socioeconomic status (as measured by education, income, and labor force status) on patterns of exercise and smoking for three age groups: persons aged 25 to 44, 45 to 64, and 65 and over. Two hypotheses drawn from the literature are tested: (a) that socioeconomic status is associated with risky lifestyle behaviors and (b) that the effect of socioeconomic status is greater for younger and middle-aged groups than for older age groups. Logistic regression analyses are performed on the 1990 Canadian Health Promotion Survey. Our results indicate that socioeconomic status affects health behaviors in relatively important ways, but this depends on the measure, the specific behavior, and the age group. The findings are discussed in relation to controversies about the existence of a culture of poverty and its impact on health behaviors, as well as to several age pattern hypotheses.