Chapter 9: Habits of life and health

Abstract

N The proportion of daily smokers in Sweden is declining among men of all ages and among women under 45 years. N Sweden has Europe’s smallest proportion of daily smokers among men, but Swedish women are daily smokers to a considerably larger extent than women in many other European countries. N The social differences in smoking habits appear not to have changed among men since the early 1980s, but there is a tendency to increasing social differences in smoking habits among women during the past few years. N Alcohol consumption increased by 29% during the period 1996–2003. The proportion of risk consumers also appears to have increased. The large proportion of risk consumers of alcohol among women and among young men is particularly worrying. N The number of drinking occasions has increased during recent years among both women and men, and the average amount of wine and beer consumed per occasion has also increased. N Mortality from diseases with an alcohol-related diagnosis has declined continually among men below 65 and among women below 45 since the start of the 1980s. However, mortality has increased steadily during the same period among women aged 45–74 and among men over 65 years. N The number of young women aged 15–24 years treated for alcohol poisoning has increased threefold since 1987. Among men of the same ages the figure has increased almost fourfold. In 2002 and 2003, however, a decrease was visible among young men and in 2003 also among young women. N More young people tested narcotics during the 1990s than formerly. The number of heavy drug abusers has increased since the early 1990s. N Only 12% of women and 4% of men eat fruit and green vegetables at least 5 times (or corresponding to 500 gm) every day. N Among blue-collar workers and white-collar workers at middle and upper levels with low incomes it is more common to eat small amounts of fruit and green vegetables than among high income groups. N Among adults in Sweden there is a trend towards physically more active leisure time. However it is worrying that sitting still is increasing among children and young people. N Just over 50% of women and 42% of men have comparatively healthy living habits. This means that they are neither risk consumers of alcohol or daily smokers, nor do they suffer from obesity, lead sedentary lives or eat too little fruit and green vegetables. N It is more common for blue-collar workers and peoplewith less education tohave, at the same time, more than one of the five unhealthy living habits studied. People who are economically exposed more often have more than one of these habits than people who are not economically exposed.