Skip to main content

Table 1 Distribution (%) of childhood and current circumstances and health behaviours by level of education and their associations (OR) with poor self-rated health in women and men aged 18–29 years in Finland. N = 1 282.

From: The contribution of childhood circumstances, current circumstances and health behaviour to educational health differences in early adulthood

 

LEVEL OF EDUCATION

POOR SELF-RATED HEALTH

EXPLANATORY FACTOR

All

High

Middle

Primary

    
 

%

%

%

%

pa

OR

pb

pc

Gender

        

Women

53

61

45

47

 

1.00

  

Men

47

39

55

53

0.000

1.15

0.477

 

Age

        

18–23

61

57

65

60

 

1.00

  

24–29

39

43

35

40

0.032

1.17

0.434

0.166

CHILDHOOD CIRCUMSTANCES

        

Parental education

        

Secondary

25

37

16

5

 

1.00

  

Intermediate

24

27

21

21

 

2.01**

  

Primary and some vocational

30

22

35

43

 

1.42

  

Primary only

18

11

25

22

 

1.84*

  

Don't know or did not have parents

3

2

2

8

0.000

1.64

0.149

0.866

Childhood family structure

        

Two parents

92

93

93

81

 

1.00

  

One parent

8

7

7

15

 

2.24**

  

Other

0.6

0.5

0.2

3

0.000

3.14

0.008

0.053*

Childhood residence

        

Urban municipalities

54

58

48

52

 

1.00

  

Semi-urban municipalities

18

17

20

17

 

0.73

  

Rural municipalities

27

23

31

28

 

1.24

  

Abroad

1

1

1

2

0.039

0.37

0.239

0.134

Childhood adversities (yes)

        

Long-term financial problems

17

16

17

23

0.235

2.09**

0.001

0.602

Parental regular unemployment

11

8

15

11

0.006

1.31

0.349

0.981

Parental divorce

20

17

21

37

0.000

1.65**

0.022

0.505

Serious conflicts within the family

24

25

23

28

0.484

2.42**

0.000

0.476

Parental mental health problem

8

7

7

10

0.664

1.80*

0.064

0.152

Parental alcohol problem

20

18

21

30

0.026

1.66**

0.026

0.113

Own serious or chronic illness

4

3

3

6

0.328

4.80**

0.000

0.250

Parental serious illness or disability

14

12

15

20

0.075

2.55**

0.000

0.854

Being bullied at school

25

22

25

35

0.024

2.89**

0.000

0.377

CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES

        

Main activity

        

Full-time of part-time employed

60

58

64

48

 

1.00

  

Student

22

33

13

1

 

1.07

  

Unemployed or laid off

8

3

10

26

 

2.89**

  

Other

10

5

13

25

0.000

1.52

0.001

0.449

Current family structure

        

Married or cohabiting

53

57

48

51

 

1.00

  

Living alone

26

32

21

16

 

1.32

  

Living with own parents or other

21

11

30

32

0.000

1.20

0.460

0.254

Current residence

        

Big city

44

53

33

44

 

1.00

  

Urban or semi-urban

39

36

44

32

 

0.67*

  

Rural

17

11

22

24

0.000

0.65

0.108

0.048**

Having children (yes)

21

15

25

35

0.000

1.16

0.527

0.137

HEALTH BEHAVIOUR

        

Daily smoking

27

18

32

52

0.000

2.32**

0.000

0.204

Heavy drinking

6

4

6

25

0.000

2.63**

0.001

0.808

Obesity

7

5

8

11

0.035

2.69**

0.002

0.514

Leisure time physical activity

        

4 times or more a week

29

31

26

35

 

1.00

  

1–3 times a week

54

57

52

42

 

1.09

  

Less than once a week

17

12

21

23

0.000

3.18**

0.000

0.278

Use of vegetables

        

6–7 days a week

52

62

44

34

 

1.00

  

3–5 days a week

27

24

30

31

 

1.16

  

Less than 3 days a week

20

13

26

35

0.000

1.80**

0.031

0.335

  1. p < 0.1, **p < 0.05
  2. a Significance of the difference between educational level and explanatory factor, Chi2-test
  3. b Significance of the difference between explanatory factor and poor self-rated health, Wald test p-value within the group
  4. c Significance of the interaction between explanatory factor and gender, Wald test p-value
  5. d Interaction gender*childhood family structure p = 0.053. The association between family structure and poor SRH is stronger in men than in women, p = 0.000 and p = 0.102, respectively