Education level still appears to have a major influence on the health behavior of the Dutch. In most cases, higher educated people behave healthier. The lower educated have on average a higher BMI than the higher educated. This is apparent from a study by Radboud University in collaboration with the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP).
Compared to lower educated Dutch people, a smaller percentage of higher educated smokers. In addition, a higher percentage eats vegetables and also a larger proportion of fruit. A larger proportion of highly educated people also exercise intensively at least once a week. On the other hand, a larger proportion drink alcohol regularly. Young women, in all educational groups, appear to drink less regularly than men. It is remarkable that educational differences in regular drinking are strongest among women aged 46-70 years.
Alcohol consumption is related to the educational level of the parents:a larger proportion of Dutch people with academically educated parents regularly drink alcohol, even if they have a lower education themselves. Having a more educated partner who smokes is associated with a lower chance of smoking yourself, but with a higher chance of regularly drinking alcohol. Living together with a partner with a low or intermediate level of education is associated with a higher average BMI.
An accumulation of unhealthy lifestyle manifestations (smoking, drinking alcohol, overweight) is also related to education:a larger proportion of Dutch people with a lower education display multiple unhealthy behaviours. In addition, a larger proportion of highly educated people show an accumulation of healthy lifestyle characteristics (daily fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise). The highly educated more often have a healthy lifestyle (in which healthy behaviors are combined with the absence of unhealthy behaviours) than the less educated.
