Breastfeeding

• Mothers from lower socioeconomic groups are less likely to breastfeed than mothers from higher SES (evidence from many EU countries and from the WHO European Region).

Breakfast habits

• Social inequalities were found in breakfast habits, with more affluent boys and girls more likely to eat breakfast every school day (evidence from many EU countries and from WHO European Region).

Family meals

• More affluent adolescents were more likely to have daily family meals. 

Fruit and vegetable consumption

• Adolescents from more affluent families have healthier eating habits; they are more likely to eat breakfast daily, hhave family meals, eat fruit and vegetables every day. 

• Low fruit and vegetable intake and high sugary drink consumption was observed in children whose parents have low educational attainment accross high- and middle-income countries in Europe.

Soft-drink and sweet consumption

• In most countries/regions where social inequalities were present, more affluent adolescents were less likely to consume soft drinks. The largest inequalities were found in Belgium (Walloon region) for both boys (16 percentage-point difference) and girls. 
• Daily sweet consumption was also higher for less affluent people, even if in this case inequalities were milder. 

Physical activity

• Only four in ten adults exercise regularly, with low rates in women, the elderly and lower socio-economic groups. 
• In many countries there is a socio-economic gradient, where higher affluence is associated with higher levels of physical activity in adolescents. 

 Alcohol consumption

OECD 2022

• By contrast with many other risk factors, people with lower education levels do not have a higher rate of heavy episodic drinking in EU countries, except in Latvia. On average, 13% of people with less than upper secondary education reported heavy episodic drinking, compared to 20% or more of people with at least upper secondary or tertiary education. These differences might reflect greater purchasing capacity: alcohol is more affordable for people with more education and higher incomes. However, when looking at alcohol-related harm, the burden is greater on people with lower socio-economic status. 

Sedentary behaviour: TV watching

• Children from low-affluence families are more likely to watch at least 2 hours of TV per day compared to more affluent children; the difference is limited (evidence from most EU countries, countries from the WHO European Region and elsewhere)