Those with higher education are still healthier than those with lower education – health inequalities have not narrowed in the 2000s
According to Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) Finland’s recent research results, the inequalities in health, functional capacity, and lifestyles between education groups have not been narrowed in the 2000s. The majority of the indicators show that the differences have remained unchanged. For a few indicators, the differences between the lowest and the highest education groups seem to have even increased from 2000 to 2017.
As for leisure time physical activity and daily smoking, the differences between educational groups have increased. An increasing number of people in the lowest education group did not engage in physical activity in their free time. More and more highly educated people have reduced their smoking. While, in the lowest education group, the share of daily smokers has not significantly decreased.
"The increase in differences between education groups in physical activity and smoking, is also worrying in terms of the development of health inequalities. These lifestyles are linked to many illnesses and functional capacity limitations. Additionally, it is important to assess the impacts the measures to limit the coronavirus epidemic has had on the lifestyles of education groups – new research results regarding this will be published in the near future ", explains Päivikki Koponen, Chief Specialist at THL.
Differences in health, functional capacity, and lifestyles
According to nearly all variables, the health and functional capacity of those in the lower education group, were weaker compared to those in higher education group. Furthermore, the lifestyles of the people with lower education were worse in terms of health, in both the 2000 and 2017 studies.
For example, in 2017, less than a quarter of those with a high level of education felt that their health was poor or moderate. In the lowest education group, the corresponding share was more than 40 per cent.
The differences between different educational groups were most obvious in half a kilometre’s walk difficulties, reduced work ability, and daily smoking, for both men and women. The only variable, where there were no significant differences between educational groups, was psychological distress.
Many factors behind health differences
Finland has long been aiming to reduce health inequalities, but the desired changes have not taken place.
"Health inequalities are a persistent problem, with several intertwined factors in the background. The narrowing of these inequalities demands measures in various areas of society, such as education, working life, and the service system. Various measures aimed at preventing discrimination and promoting inclusion can affect the health inequalities of future age groups. Health inequalities cannot be narrowed by individual measures or short-term projects, "reminds Tuija Martelin, Research Manager at THL.
The researchers wanted to examine, whether the inequalities in health, functional capacity, and lifestyles between education groups have remained unchanged, decreased, or increased over 17 years. The research data was collected through health examinations, questionnaires, and interviews.
Changes in the health inequalities between different education groups, from 2000 to 2017, were examined using nationally representative data based on the Health 2000 (Aromaa & Koskinen 2002) and FinHealth 2017 (Koponen et al. 2018) studies. In this study, the data was limited to those aged 30–69. The results have been utilised in the preparation of a recommendation, to be published shortly, for the monitoring of health inequalities between educational groups. (Jokela et al. 2021)
More information
Päivikki Koponen
THL
Chief Specialist
Tel. +358 29 524 8868
E-mail: [email protected]
Tuija Martelin
THL
Research Manager
E-mail: [email protected]
Publication
Satu Jokela, Katri Kilpeläinen, Suvi Parikka, Laura Sares-Jäske, Timo Koskela, Sonja Lumme, Tuija Martelin, Päivikki Koponen, Seppo Koskinen, Tuulia Rotko. Health inequalities in Finland - Proposal for the development of the monitoring system. Report 2021_5 (in Finnish)
