ABSTRACT

What is a `healthy' lifestyle? Which is more significant: the social circumstances in which people live, or lifestyle habits such as exercise or smoking?
Health and Lifestyles is the first description of a large and representative survey of the British population asking just those questions. It examines the findings, and considers issues such as measured fitness, declared health, psychological status, life circumstances, health-related behaviour, attitudes and beliefs. Providing firm evidence of the importance of social circumstances and patterns of health-related behaviour, Health and Lifestyles is an important contribution to current debate, revealing the levels of inequality in health in Britain today.

chapter Chapter One|8 pages

Introduction

chapter Chapter Two|4 pages

The Health and Lifestyle Survey

chapter Chapter Three|22 pages

What is Health?

chapter Chapter Four|25 pages

The Measurement of Health

chapter Chapter Five|53 pages

Social Circumstances and Health

chapter Chapter Six|34 pages

Patterns of Behaviour

chapter Chapter Seven|41 pages

Attitudes and Behaviour

chapter Chapter Eight|15 pages

Behaviour and Health

chapter Chapter Nine|30 pages

Circumstances, Behaviour, and Health

chapter Chapter Ten|11 pages

Conclusions and Policy Implications