Clusters of risk behaviors for noncommunicable diseases in the Brazilian adult population.

OBJECTIVES

To identify clusters of risk behaviors among Brazilian adults, by sex, and to associate clusters with sociodemographic factors and self-perception of health.

METHODS

We assessed 46,785 adults from the Brazilian National Health Survey. The risk behaviors were low consumption of fruits and vegetables-LFV (< 5 times/week), physical inactivity-PI (< 150 min/week), smoking (yes/no) and excessive consumption of alcohol-EA (5 doses for male, 4 doses for female). We used Venn diagram, cluster analysis and multinomial regression models.

RESULTS

We found 9 clusters. The cluster of four risk behaviors was more common in males (3.2% vs. 0.83%). Despite a greater potential for aggregation of behaviors in females (O/E = 2.48) than in males (O/E = 1.62), the women were less likely to have all risk behaviors jointly (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.19; 0.31), and this was found for the other clusters. In general, Brazilian black/brown, younger, with low education level and who had a self-perception of bad health, were more likely to engage in clusters of risk behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of Brazilian adults engaging in clusters of risk behaviors is high, mainly among males, those who reported a bad health and with low socioeconomic status.