Association of Family Income with Health Indices and Healthcare Utilization in a Large Sample of Residents in Northern Greece

Objective:To describe the impact of subjects’ family income, which was used as a proxy for socioeconomic status, with health characteristics and healthcare utilization of a large representative sample of population in Northern Greece, taking into account several socio-demographic characteristics and health behaviors of the participants. Material and method:Eight hundred and twelve participants (43.7% males) with a mean age of 49.±14.8 years (range 19-83 years), from the area of Thrace, Greece, were enrolled in this cross-sectional populational study. A two-stage stratified sampling scheme was used and subjects were classified, according to the net mean monthly household income, into three financial levels: low .1000 Euro; medium 1001-2000 Euro; and high >2000 Euro. Self-reported questionnaires for socio-demographic, lifestyle and health related characteristics were collected. Sleep characteristics, utilizing Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Athens Insomnia Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and Berlin Questionnaire, and mental health, using Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale and Beck Depression Inventory have been also assessed. Results:The majority of participants belonged to the lower income level (476 subjects, 58.6%). Lower income level was associated with a higher prevalence of high alcohol consumption (p=0.030), low adherence to Mediterranean diet (p=0.016), low physical activity (p<0.001) and either short or long nocturnal sleep duration (p<0.001). After adjusting for all socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics, subjects with low income had a higher risk for anxiety (aOR=1.97, p=0.017), depression (aOR=4.88, p<0.001), dyslipidemia (aOR=2.50, p=0.007), diabetes (aOR=3.58, p<0.001), obesity (aOR=1.97, p=0.038), cardiovascular disease (aOR=3.04, p=0.015) and sleep disorders, as well as for primary (aOR=3.56, p=0.017) and secondary (aOR=2.49, p=0.010) healthcare utilization compared to subjects with high income. Conclusion:Low income is an important factor, which adversely affects the health of individuals via different pathways such as adaptation of harmful everyday habits. Large-scale prospective cohort studies are necessary to verify these associations in a methodologically more robust way.