Income inequality and socioeconomic differences in adolescents’ health and health-behavior in post-Communist countries of Europe

This dissertation focuses on post-Communist countries of Europe (PCCE), where - due to neoliberal reforms - income inequality increased significantly after the Cold War. It presents valuable evidence about the socioeconomic differences in adolescent health and risky health behaviors in PCCE and the role of country income inequality in it. The dissertation offers new insights into factors that - possibly rooted in an increased desire for status and recognition - affect the health and the risky health behaviors of adolescents. It further sheds light on how country income inequality influences adolescent risky health behaviors. Findings suggest that, in PCCE, large income inequalities can have more adverse effects on adolescents with a high socioeconomic position (SEP): more than their peers from lower-SEP families, they tend to engage in risky health behaviors that symbolize high social standing (“golden youth”).