The relationship between cultural capital and lifestyle health behaviours in young people: a systematic review

Objectives: While the universal prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours is high, cultural capital as a non-material resource shaping individuals' tastes can provide a substantial insight into different lifestyle behaviour choices. The aim of the present systematic review was to examine the evidence on the association between the three forms of cultural capital and lifestyle health behaviours. Study design: This is a systematic literature review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Quality appraisal was carried out using the Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies (QAT-OCCSS). Methods: The review included searches of 13 electronic databases with no restriction on the year of publication. Data were extracted using inclusion criteria and analysed using a narrative format. Eighteen studies were eligible for inclusion. Results: The relationship between cultural capital and lifestyle behaviours was confirmed in the studies measuring institutionalised cultural capital, and mostly supported in the studies that measured objectified and embodied cultural capital. While cultural capital had a significant relationship with some lifestyle behaviours, it was not significantly related to others. The important methodological weaknesses in the literature preclude the ability to state the associations as unequivocal. Conclusion: While the association between cultural capital and lifestyle behaviours was supported in most of the included studies, more rigorous research methods are required to effectively assess the causality between cultural capital and lifestyle behaviours. More precise findings may lead to new entry points for the development of interventions to promote healthy lifestyle behaviours.No Full Tex