Impact of the economic crisis on health-related behaviors in Italy

Background: Evidence exists supporting the impact of the Great Recession on health-related behaviors internationally, though few studies are available concerning the Italian population. Aim: To assess the impact of the late 2000s economic crisis on health-related behaviors linked to population mental health in Italy. Methods: Descriptive study. Health indicators came from the Italian Institute of Statistics database (years 2000-2015). Statistics performed by means of linear regression models. Results: Increased smokers (β = 1.68, p =.03), heavy smokers, that is, people smoking 11-20 cigarettes per day (β = 2.18, p =.04) or more than 20 cigarettes per day (β = 1.04, p <.01) and mean number of smoked cigarettes per day (β = 0.56, p =.02) were noticeable. Also, prevalence of overweight increased (β = 0.91, p =.04), while the Italian families' expenditure for alcoholic beverages decreased (β = -812.80, p =.01). Alcohol consumption decreased (β = -0.60, p <.01), especially in men (β = -0.95, p <.01); binge drinking increased in years 2009-2010. No change was noticeable in the diet indicators collected. Conclusion: The economic crisis may have increased smoking, overweight and binge drinking in Italy (though data on the latter phenomenon are not conclusive), and reduced overall alcohol consumption.