Social gradient in health-related quality of life among urban residents in Limassol, Cyprus: Research article

Abstract

Background: Social inequalities in health threaten social cohesion and, therefore, their investigation is an important research field. Monitoring the health of the population is necessary to identify health needs, design programs focused in people’s needs and to evaluate the effectiveness of health policies.Methods: A cross-sectional survey using primary data was applied. The study investigates the size and the extent of social inequalities in quality of life and health behaviours in Limassol, Cyprus. Data collection was done by door-to-door survey, in the form of interviews. The sample consisted of 450 residents aged 45-64 across 45 randomly selected neighbourhoods, that met the selection criteria. The tools used were: Demographic questionnaire, SF 36 Questionnaire, IPAQ- International Physical Activity Questionnaire short form.Results: The social gradient appears in all social indicators. As for the physical dimension of health has a strong relationship between health-related quality of life with the education index. Specifically, the difference between the two poles is 12 points for men and 14 points for women (p = 0.16). Profession systematically appears to have a stronger relationship with men than with women, and is present in both physical and mental dimensions. Specifically, the difference between the two poles is 13 points for men and 10 points for women (p = 0.31).Conclusions: Exploring social inequalities in health-related quality of life, is a complex situation influencing social, physical and psychological health state. It seems that young male individuals, who are highly educated, employed full time, earning high incomes and engaging in mild physical activity, have significantly higher level of health-related life quality, compared to other middle age adult groups, living in Limassol. This finding is in agreement with other studies that show correlations between gender and the patterns of risk factors.