Elsevier

Preventive Medicine

Volume 26, Issue 5, September 1997, Pages 724-733
Preventive Medicine

Regular Article
Clustering of Health-Related Behaviors among 18-Year-Old Australians☆,☆☆

https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.1997.0198Get rights and content

Abstract

Background.Few studies among young adults have examined clustering of health behaviors affecting risk for lifestyle diseases.

Methods.Smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and diet were examined among Australian 18-year-olds (301 males, 282 females) initially recruited at the age of 9 years from 26 schools. Association analysis was used to recognize behavior clustering.

Results.Fat intake was greater among male smokers than nonsmokers (36% energy vs 34% energy). Women smokers ate less fiber (14.1 g/day) than did nonsmokers (17.8 g/day). Smoking was significantly related, among males, to unsafe drinking (odds ratio 2.38) and higher fat intake (odds ratio 1.06) and, among females, to unsafe drinking (odds ratio 1.59), lower dietary fiber (odds ratio 0.93), and less physical activity (odds ratio 0.36). Cluster analysis defined separate behavior clusters for men and women with smoking status identifying further subgroups. Smoking, drinking alcohol to excess, and adverse dietary choices clustered among men and women, with physical inactivity also clustering among women.

Conclusion.Smoking among adolescents is an important indicator of behaviors influencing risk for later cardiovascular disease and other medical disorders. Multimodal approaches allowing for gender differences in health-related behaviors are likely to be more successful than targeting a single behavior in this age group.

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    ☆

    This study was supported by a Program Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, the Australian Rotary Health Research Fund, and by the WA Health Promotion Foundation.

    ☆☆

    W, Willet, editor

    2

    To whom reprint requests should be addressed. Fax: 08 9224 0246. E-mail: [email protected].

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    Copyright © 1997 American Health Foundation and Academic Press. All rights reserved.