Leefstijl van 55-64-jarige Nederlanders in 2002/'03 minder gezond dan in 1992/'93

To describe the lifestyle of men and women aged 55-64 years in the Netherlands in 2002/’03 and compare it with the lifestyle of people of the same age in 1992/’93.

Design

Descriptive.

Method

Data were used from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. The study comprised two randomly selected samples from local municipal registers in 1992/’93 (n = 966) and 2002/’03 (n = 1002), stratified according to sex, age and expected 5-year survival. Participants were from 11 municipalities in the west, northeast and south of the Netherlands. Data were collected from interviews, measurements and a written questionnaire. The response was 62 in 1992/’93 and 57 in 2002/’03.

Results

In 1992/’93, 9.5 of the men and 20.5 of the women were obese. Ten years later these percentages were 18.4 and 27.5. The percentage of current smokers was stable over time and included one-third of men and one-quarter of women. More people used alcohol in 2002/’03; excessive alcohol use was found in 15.7 of the men (11.7 in 1992/’93) and 19.5 of the women (11.1 in 1992/’93). The energy expended through walking, bicycling, household activities and sports was one-fifth less in 2002/’03.

Conclusion

The lifestyle of people aged 55-64 years in the Netherlands was less healthy in 2002/’03 than in 1992/’93. Because positive changes in lifestyle can reduce the risk of chronic diseases, functional limitations and early death, more attention to healthy living is necessary in this age group.

Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd. 2005;149:2973-8