Cardiovascular diseases are a leading cause of death and disability in Canada, and individuals of low socioeconomic status appear particularly vulnerable to such disorders. Although many health-related institutions have promoted cardiovascular health and have created cardiac rehabilitation programmes, they have not attained their desired outcomes, especially amongst socioeconomically deprived men. Drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's sociocultural theory, this qualitative study aims to understand the social mechanisms underpinning the lifestyles and health practices of men who had suffered a cardiovascular incident requiring hospitalisation. In all, 20 interviews were conducted with francophone men aged 40 to 65 years living in the province of Qu ebec, Canada. The analysis strongly suggests that the respondents' living conditions and disease were significant obstacles to their adoption of a healthy lifestyle. Their despair and pessimism, apparently originating in the harshness of their financial realities, physical limitations and social networks, led them to believe that they could do little to control their lives, thereby limiting the fulfillment of any long-term ambitions. Therefore, the adoption of a habitus characterised by fatalistic and short-term perceptions of health influenced their lifestyle choices, leading them to maintain lives that were in stark contrast with the recommendations made by health promotion experts.Keywords: Bourdieu, lifestyle, rehabilitation, men, social class Many studies have documented the link between social inequality and health. While research on this subject is abundant, many specific questions remain on the connection between socioeconomic conditions and lifestyles. Drawing chiefly on Pierre Bourdieu's social cultural theory of practice, this qualitative study focuses on fatalism and short-termism as key considerations involved in the adoption of 'unhealthy lifestyles' by underprivileged francophone men who had suffered a cardiovascular incident requiring hospitalisation. While these attitudes have a bearing on health, they have yet to be applied together in an empirical study on lifestyle dispositions. It is argued here that social and material deprivation do not provide individuals with many incentives to adopt recommended forms of cardiac rehabilitation; through a combination of increased concern for short-term necessities and reduced perceptions of self-control over health, low socioeconomic status appears to compromise an individual's personal investments in future health and wellbeing.

Les effets bénéfiques des programmes de réadaptation cardiaque ont été largement documentés. Par contre, peu d’études se sont penchées sur la faible participation des populations moins bien nanties. En employant l’approche socioculturelle de Pierre Bourdieu, cette étude qualitative contribue à élargir la base des connaissances à l’égard des pratiques de réadaptation cardiaque d’hommes de milieux socio-économiquement défavorisés. Des entrevues semi-structurées ont été effectuées auprès de 22 hommes francophones (âge moyen : 51,7 ans) de l’Outaouais urbain et ayant subi un accident cardiovasculaire. Les résultats suggèrent que les conditions de défavorisation façonnent un rapport au corps incompatible avec les normes de santé publique. Deux thèmes principaux sont développés : (a) les faibles dispositions à adopter des pratiques préventives en santé et (b) les faibles dispositions à participer à un programme de réadaptation cardiaque.Positive effects of numerous cardiac rehabilitation programs have been largely documented. However, very few studies have addressed the low participation rates of underprivileged populations. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s sociocultural approach, this qualitative research helps to expand the knowledge base with regard to cardiac rehabilitation practices of men from socio-economically disadvantaged environments. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 French-speaking males (average age : 51.7 years) in the urban Outaouais region, and having suffered a cardiovascular event. Results suggest that social and material deprivation shapes their relation to their bodies that is inconsistent with public health standards. Two main themes are expanded on: a) low disposition towards prevention practices and b) low disposition to participate in a cardiac rehabilitation program

Cardiovascular diseases are leading causes of premature mortality and disability. Although health institutions have developed and promoted cardiac rehabilitation programs, they have not attained their desired outcomes, especially among the most vulnerable groups of the population. This study qualitatively examines socially and materially deprived men's (n = 20) noncompliance with cardiovascular health guidelines following a medical intervention to the heart. By drawing on Pierre Bourdieu's sociocultural theory of practice, results indicate that precarious living conditions obstruct long-term physical recovery and illness prevention by underemphasizing the value of "health capital" and reducing the capacity to sustain lifestyle change. This study calls into question health policies that have little to no consideration of embodied practical knowledge and lived experiences.

La mortalité engendrée par les maladies cardiovasculaires constitue l’un des indicateurs majeurs d’inégalités sociales de santé au Québec. Chez les hommes socio-économiquement défavorisés, le taux de mortalité due à ces maladies demeure alarmant par rapport aux autres groupes de la population. Cette étude qualitative examine les pratiques de santé de soixante hommes provenant de différents milieux socioéconomiques et ayant été hospitalisés à la suite d’un incident cardiaque. En employant la théorie socioculturelle de Pierre Bourdieu, l’analyse d’entrevues expose les obstacles que posent les conditions de vie précaires à la santé et à l’adoption de saines habitudes de vie en contexte de réadaptation cardiaque. Les conclusions soulignent l’importance de politiques de santé inclusives, qui tiennent compte d’un savoir incorporé et d’une compréhension pratique du monde des individus.The mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases constitutes one of the major indicators of social inequalities in health in Quebec. Among socio-economically disadvantaged men, the mortality rate due to these diseases remains alarmingly high compared to other population groups. This qualitative study examines the health practices of sixty men from different socioeconomic backgrounds who have been hospitalized for a cardiac event. Applying the sociocultural theory of Pierre Bourdieu, the analysis of interviews exposes the obstacles which precarious living conditions pose to health and to the adoption of healthy living habits in a cardiac rehabilitation setting. The findings emphasize the importance of inclusive health policies that take account of a common sense knowledge and a practical understanding of the world of individuals

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