Associations between socioeconomic circum- stances and food habits after transition to statutory retirement:The Helsinki Health Study

Authors

• Jatta Salmela Kansanterveystieteen osasto, Helsingin yliopisto
• Eva Roos https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3521-6517
• Ossi Rahkonen https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7202-3274
• Anne Kouvonen https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6997-8312
• Tea Lallukka https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3841-3129

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.23990/sa.112727

Keywords:

food habits, retirees, socioeconomic differences, statutory retirement

Abstract

Socioeconomic position (SEP) is a central determinant of food habits. Among the working-age population, lower SEP is associated with poorer diets, such as decreased consumption of fruits and vegetables and poorer quality of food. Only limited research exists, however, on socioeconomic inequalities in food habits after transition to statutory retirement. This study examined how different measures of SEP are associated with recommended food habits after transition to statutory retirement among former employees of the City of Helsinki. We used data from the Helsinki Health Study cohort, which included four questionnaire surveys conducted during 2000–2017. In the baseline survey, the respondents were 40–60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki (N = 8960, 80% women). The final study population in this study included 2810 women and 734 men who retired during the follow-up. We used five measures of SEP and seven measures of food habits and examined their associations using binary logistic regression analyses. Among women, all measures of SEP were positively associated with recommended food habits. We found the strongest associations between earlier occupational class and food habits. Among men, being an owner-occupier and lacking financial difficulties showed the strongest associations with recommended food habits, whereas household income was not associated with food habits. Marital status, previous workload, BMI, binge drinking, and self-rated health only modestly contributed to the examined associations. The findings are in line with previous studies on socioeconomic inequalities in food habits among working-age populations. Transition to statutory retirement is a remarkable turning point in the life cycle, which enables individuals to make changes to their lifestyles. This study suggests, however, that socioeconomic inequalities in food habits are persistent and not easily diminished via life transitions such as retirement.