Adherence
Lower socioeconomic status is associated with lower health consciousness (frequency of thinking about healthy behaviors), stronger beliefs in chance/external control over health, and reduced future salience (thinking about the future), which independently predict unhealthy behaviors such as smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and poor diet.
If you find it hard to stick to healthy habits, it might not just be about willpower or money. Try shifting your mindset: focus on what you can control (like your daily choices) rather than luck, and practice visualizing your future self. Small steps to think about the long-term benefits of your actions can help build the motivation needed for lasting change.
Lower SES was associated with less health consciousness (thinking about things to do to keep healthy), stronger beliefs in the influence of chance on health, less thinking about the future, and lower life expectancies. These attitudinal factors were in turn associated with unhealthy behavioural choices, independently of age, sex, and self rated health.
Why this rating
Large, nationally representative sample (n=1691) with robust statistical adjustments for age, sex, and self-rated health, though the cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
Source
Socioeconomic differences in attitudes and beliefs about healthy lifestyles
J Wardle et al. · Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health · 2003
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