Unravelling socioeconomic health inequalities:targets for preventing metabolic syndrome and major depressive disorder

Socioeconomic health inequalities are a public health problem regardless of which aspect of socioeconomic position (SEP) is considered (e.g., educational level, household income and occupational prestige). Metabolic syndrome (MetS) (a combination of factors related to type 2 diabetes and excess fat tissue) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are important physical and mental health indicators. They cause high expenditures in health care and are strongly related to the aforementioned SEP aspects. In addition, individuals with a low SEP are more likely to have unhealthy habits in terms of chronic stress, social environment, lifestyle and health literacy, resulting in a greater risk of adverse health outcomes. However, it was unclear which factors are most important in explaining socioeconomic differences in MetS and MDD.The main findings of this thesis are:1. Socioeconomic health inequalities in MetS and MDD are largely determined by educational level and to a lesser extent by household income and occupational prestige.2. Socioeconomic health inequalities in MetS and MDD are mainly explained by the fact that individuals with a lower SEP are more likely to smoke and have poorer health literacy than individuals with a higher SEP.3. Socioeconomic health inequalities in MDD are also largely explained by the fact that individuals with a lower SEP have lower-quality social contacts than individuals with a higher SEP.An important recommendation would be that, in order to reduce socioeconomic health inequalities, early attention should be paid to developing health literacy, encouraging social contacts, and promoting a healthy lifestyle