TY - JOUR PY - 2018// TI - An examination of changes in social disparities in health behaviors in the US, 2003-2015 JO - American journal of health behavior A1 - Fleary, Sasha A. A1 - Nigg, Claudio R. A1 - Freund, Karen M. SP - 119 EP - 134 VL - 42 IS - 1 N2 - OBJECTIVES: Due to growing health disparities, federal and philanthropic agencies have empha-sized reducing health disparities in their preventive health efforts. This study determined the status of disparities in health behaviors in the last 13 years in the United States.

METHODS: Data were obtained from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Systems in odd years (2003-2015). Health behaviors were dichotomized to reflect met fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption and physical activity (PA) recommendations, non-cigarette smoking, non-heavy drinking, and non-binge drinking. Overall and sociodemographic characteristic-specific disparities ratios for each behavior were calculated. Linear trend analyses were calculated to determine disparities change across the years.

RESULTS: Overall disparities fluctuated across the years. Linear trend analyses confirmed that education-specific and income-specific disparities' contribution to overall disparities increased for all behaviors. Sex-specific disparities' contribution decreased for all behaviors except non-cigarette smoking. Age-specific disparities' contribution decreased for all behaviors except non-binge drinking. Race/ethnicity-specific disparities' contribution to overall disparities increased for FV and non-cigarette smoking, but decreased for the other behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest health disparities in preventive health behaviors in the last 13 years have not improved. Tailored interventions, systemic and policy changes, and/or inclusive population efforts should be initiated to reduce disparities in preventive health for the most- divergent groups identified in the results.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1087-3244 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.42.1.12 ID - ref1 ER -