ORIGINAL ARTICLE Socioeconomic gradient shifts in health-related behaviour among Slovak adolescents between 1998 and 2006

The Author(s) 2012. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Objectives We aimed to assess the development of the socioeconomic gradient in health-related behaviour (HRB) among Slovak adolescents between 1998 and 2006. Methods Data were collected in 1998 (n = 2,616; 14.9 ± 0.6 years) and in 2006 (n = 1,081; 14.3 ± 0.6 years). ORs of socioeconomic differences—as measured by parental education—were calculated for each cohort in smoking, alcohol consumption and physical inactivity, and the interactions of socioeconomic position and the time period on these behaviours were calculated. Results The higher odds of smoking in the low socio-economic group compared to the high socioeconomic group decreased among boys (interaction OR 0.54), but became evident among girls (interaction OR 1.96). In alcohol consumption, no socioeconomic differences were found among boys, but the higher odds among girls from high socioeconomic position compared with those from low socioeconomic position disappeared in 2006. In physical inactivity, socioeconomic differences increased among boys but not among girls. Conclusion During this period, socioeconomic differ-ences in HRB developed in a different way among boys than among girls. Prevalence rates in substance use increased especially among girls from the low socioeco-nomic group. This group should be particularly targeted by prevention programs