Correlates of multiple chronic disease behavioral risk factors in Canadian children and adolescents.

The authors assessed individual, social, and school correlates of multiple chronic disease behavioral risk factors (physical inactivity, sedentary behavior, tobacco smoking, alcohol drinking, and high body mass index) in a representative sample of Canadian youth aged 10-15 years (mean = 12.5 years) attending public schools. Cross-sectional data (n = 1,747) from cycle 4 (2000-2001) of the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth were used. Ordinal regression models were constructed to investigate associations between selected covariates and multiple behavioral risk-factor levels (0/1, 2, 3, or 4/5 risk factors). Older age (odds ratio (OR) = 1.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21, 3.13), caregiver smoking (OR = 1.49, 95% CI: 1.09, 2.03), reporting that most/all of one's peers smoked (OR = 7.31, 95% CI: 4.00, 13.35) or drank alcohol (OR = 3.77, 95% CI: 2.18, 6.53), and living in a lone-parent family (OR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.31, 2.88) increased the likelihood of having multiple behavioral risk factors. Youth with high self-esteem (OR = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.85, 0.99) and youth from families with postsecondary education (OR = 0.58, 95% CI: 0.41, 0.82) were less likely to have a higher number of risk factors. Although several individual and social characteristics were associated with multiple behavioral risk factors, no school-related correlates emerged. These variables should be considered when planning prevention programs.