Family Socioeconomic Status, Lifestyle And Youth Health Are Not Equal

Health is a key indicator of social welfare,and the equality of health is related to the sustainable development of mankind.Recently,scholars have been concerning more about the phenomenon and the process of health inequalities.Using data from the China Family Panel Studies(2010),this study explores how family socioeconomic status and lifestyle influence adolescent health,and examines the contribution of lifestyles to the explanation of socioeconomic differences in health.Results:1)adolescent depression is correlated with per capita family income,while adolescent obesity and the frequency of hospital visits are correlated with parents' education;2)adolescent obesity is negatively correlated with physical exercise,and positively correlated with fast-food consumption,whereas depression is only significantly correlated with fast-food consumption;3)family SES is significantly associated with physical exercise and fast-food consumption,and whether the effect of SES on the former or the latter is positive;4)fast-food consumption partly accounts for the association between depression and family income per capita,while there is no evidence that fast-food or physical exercise links parents'education and adolescent obesity.Conclusion:1)adolescent health is correlated with family SES,but the correlation varies with different health indicators;2)the positive role that healthy lifestyles play in adolescent health is partially proved;3)family SES exerts significant influences on healthy lifestyles,but the direction of the effect depends on the situation;4)the mediating effects of lifestyles are partially proved.