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Abstract

Purpose:

This study aimed to measure healthy lifestyle for European adults.

Design:

Cross-sectional study.

Settings:

In 20 European countries.

Participants:

A total of 34 993 (16 749 men, 18 244 women) European adults.

Measures:

Data were from the 2014 European Social Survey (n = 34 993) on 4 modifiable behaviors (physical activity, fruit and vegetable consumption, not drinking alcohol to excess, and not smoking) as well as sleep quality.

Analysis:

Behaviors were combined and formed a healthy lifestyle measure. Binary logistic regression was done to determine associations of healthy lifestyle and sociodemographic characteristics.

Results:

Only 5.8% of the adults reported a healthy lifestyle. The prevalence of having a healthy lifestyle varied among European countries. The lowest rates were in Hungary (1.3%) and Czech Republic (1.9%). The highest rates were in United Kingdom (8.6%) and Finland (9.2%). Those who presented a higher likelihood of having a healthy lifestyle were middle age (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20), older people (OR = 1.34), having higher household income (OR = 1.33), being a student (OR = 1.38), and retired (OR = 1.31). Those less likely to have a healthy lifestyle were lived without a partner (OR = 0.82), unemployed (OR = 0.73), and lived in rural areas (OR = 0.86).

Conclusions:

Few European adults were practicing 5 healthy behaviors. This should be a message for governments and be considered in the establishment of preventive public policies in the areas of health and health education.

Keywords

getting cooperized physical activity vegetables consumption drink alcohol smoking sleep quality social and physical health culture change

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Few European Adults are Living a Healthy Lifestyle