Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Background. Understanding the development of health inequalities during young adulthood requires consideration of the dynamic and age-graded nature of socioeconomic circumstances during this life period. To illustrate this, we examine changes in social inequalities in smoking between the ages of 18 and 25. Methods. 1,243 young adults were followed every two years in the Canadian National Population Health Survey. Using GEE models, we regressed smoking on education, living arrangements, and relationship, employment, and student status. We examined main effects and interactions by education and age. Results. Post-secondary education was associated with a lower risk of smoking while atypical living arrangements, not studying, and being single were associated with a higher risk of smoking. These associations, however, significantly varied with age. The positive influence of having post-secondary education on the risk of smoking was absent at ages 18-19 and became strong at ages 24-25. On the other hand, the negative influence of living with children on the risk of smoking was very strong at ages 18-19 but disappeared by ages 22-23. The influence of relationship status was modified by age and education: there was a positive influence of being in a couple on the risk of smoking among participants with post-secondary education between the ages of 22 and 25. Conclusions. "Average" effects provide a limited understanding of health inequalities during young adulthood. Research need to further address the dynamic and age-graded nature of young adult socioeconomic circumstances by investigating how these associations change over time and across socioeconomic groups.