Comportamentos saudáveis e escolaridade no Brasil: tendência temporal de 2008 a 2013

Abstract

This study analyzed data from the telephone-based Surveillance System of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Non-Communica ble Diseases (VIGITEL) to assess the prevalence of clusters of healthy behavior patterns (non-smoker, non-alcohol-drinker, regular leisure-time physical activity and recommended consumption of fruit and vegetables) and the temporal trend between 2008 and 2013. Additionally, we evaluated wheth er the association between level of schooling and clustering of three or more healthy behavior pat terns decreased in this same period. Prevalence ratios were obtained using Poisson regression. We found that between 2008 and 2013, the cluster ing prevalence of three or more healthy behavior patterns increased from 20% to 25% in men, and from 26% to 32% in women, suggesting an in crease in the prevalence of healthy behavior pat terns in Brazil. This increase was found at all levels of schooling. However, the association between lev els of schooling and the prevalence of clustering of three or more healthy behavior patterns remained constant during the period. Thus, the results sug gest that educational disparities in clustering of three or more healthy behavior patterns did not change over time, despite the social improvements observed in the country in recent years.