February 10, 2017.
According to the annual report of the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (DREES), there are still many health inequalities in France.
Better habits among executive children
One could imagine that with our social protection system, France would manage to erase inequalities in health. But nothing is less true. According to a Drees report, children of workers and employees are twice as likely to be overweight and up to four times more likely to suffer from obesity than executive children.
But how to explain such disparities? According to the authors of this report, the children of executives have ” behaviors more conducive to the preservation of their health “. They eat breakfast every day (88% vs. 79% among blue-collar workers), eat more vegetables (42% vs. 27%), exercise more (78% vs. 67%) and drink less soda (15 % versus 26%).
Children of workers spend more time in front of screens
Other factors of obesity have been observed in families from disadvantaged backgrounds. 43% of the children of workers have a fixed computer or a television in their room, against only 26% of the children of executives. However, many studies have shown that there is a link between time spent in front of screens and the risk of obesity.
But obesity is not the only pathology that is found more in underprivileged areas. 40% of the children of workers have at least one cavity, against only 30% for the children of managers. However, it is important to note that on average 7 out of 10 children had teeth free from cavities in 2015, an increase of 8 points compared to 2008.
Read also: 1 in 3 children in Europe is obese
Marine Rondot.
