Health Behaviors and Education in Turkey

This is the first study that provides empirical analysis of the variation in health behaviors for adult men and women in Turkey, a developing country. The health behaviors considered are: smoking, drinking, fruit and vegetable consumption, exercise and body mass index (BMI). We find that education is the most important factor that affects health behavior in Turkey. The results indicate that smoking is positively associated with education at all levels, with a decreasing effect per level of education, unlike in developed countries. This result indicates that smoking is a serious public health problem in Turkey at all levels of education. Furthermore, alcohol consumption and schooling are positively related and alcohol consumption increases with the level of education. Higher educated individuals clearly eat more fruits, vegetables and exercise more and their BMI levels are in the normal range, compared to their less educated and illiterate peers. We also highlight the importance of demographic factors, labor market status and household income. We refer to the Health Survey of Turkish Statistical Institute (TURKSTAT) for the years 2008, 2010 and 2012. This study will provide a baseline for further studies on the various aspects of health behaviors in Turkey.