Biological Age, Health, and Health-risk Indicators among 25–57-year-old Men in Two Parts of Finland

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Social Medicine
• Main Authors: Heikkinen, E., Seppänen, B., Rimpelä, M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: SAGE Publications 1975
• Subjects: Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; karelia*
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/140349487500300301; http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/140349487500300301

Biological age, health and health-risk indicators were examined among 460 systematically chosen men, aged 25–57 years, in two parts of Finland. Morbidity rates and the prevalence of some health-risk indicators were higher and the standard of living lower in North Karelia than in South-West Finland. The index of biological age (IBA) did not show significant differences between the districts and did not correlate with health-risk indicators. People working in physically hard occupations (industrial and mining workers) were found to have more diseases and had higher IBA values than had workers in lighter occupations. The results suggest that both ageing and morbidity are regulated by occupational status and social conditions connected with it.