Healthy lifestyle in Latvian inhabitants: insights from a population-based study

Abstract Background According to the Public Health Guidelines of Latvia, targeted measures are necessary to improve health literacy. This population-based study aimed to understand health literacy and behaviours in different segments of the population. Methods Cross-sectional survey was conducted in a random sample of Latvian inhabitants. We collected socio-demographic information along with data on stress, nutrition, physical activities, and sleep quality. Descriptive and univariate analyses of differences in lifestyle patterns by socio-economic groups were performed. Results We enrolled 1133 participants (mean age 51.0, standard deviation, SD 18.5; 44.2% men) from different regions of Latvia. Men reported lower stress levels than women (mean 4.1, SD 2.1, and mean 4.5, SD 2.1, respectively, on the scale of 1 to 10), p < 0.01. We didn't observe a significant correlation of stress with age (p = 0.12). Those with higher education reported more stress (p = 0.03) compared to other educational groups. Men and women differed (p < 0.01) in their knowledge of nutrition requirements ("the plate method” and “fruit portion") in favour of females. This knowledge decreased with age and increased with the level of education (p < 0.01 for both). Similar patterns were found in the number of hours spent on moderate physical activity: Spearman correlation rs=-0.12, p < 0.01 for age, and with mean 7.6, SD 9.1 hours per week for those with higher education and less than 7 hours/week for other educational groups (p = 0.01). Conclusions Targeted health promotion strategies, focusing on younger and less-educated groups, may improve their health behaviours and health literacy. Key messages • Targeted public health interventions should be tailored to specific behavioural patterns. • Educational interventions focused on younger and lower educational groups may help improve health literacy.