Clustering of Multiple Chronic Disease Risk Behaviors among Middle School Youth
Journal Title: Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research (BJSTR) - Year 2018, Vol 6, Issue 2
Abstract
Health-risk behaviors cluster or co-occur among youth populations [1-3], leading to increased risk for overweight/obesity and related chronic illnesses [4]. However, evidence specific to middle- school aged youth remains limited. In the current study the prevalence of multiple risk behaviors among middle-school aged youth are described and examined for co-occurrence. Outcomes are expected to inform the development of future research and intervention efforts among similar youth populations. Methodology Youth were recruited from health classrooms through teacher partnerships. All study procedures were approved by the University Institutional Review Board. Participating youth were asked to complete a 10 to 15-minute paper-and-pencil questionnaire asking about their multiple health behavior, including their weekly physical activity, daily television viewing time, daily fruit and vegetable servings, alcohol use, cigarette use, and smokeless tobacco use. Youth also self-reported their age, gender, height and weight (calculated to body mass index (BMI), adjusting for age and gender). Classroom teachers reported class-level ethnicity and grade-level. Based on guidelines recommending youth perform at least 60 minutes of daily physical activity [5] youth were asked to report the number of days they perform 60 minutes of physical activity during a typical week. Those reporting less than 7 days a week of 60 minutes of physical activity were determined at-risk for physical inactivity. Daily television was also reported; youth reporting more than two hours per day were considered at-risk. Youth also reported their daily fruit and vegetable consumption, and those reporting less than 5 servings of fruit and vegetables were considered at-risk. Finally, youth who reported previously trying alcohol, cigarettes, and/or smokeless tobacco were considered at-risk. Statistical AnalysisRisk for each health behaviors were described, as well as the prevalence of multiple health-risk behavior. Observed to expected ratio method (i.e., O/E > 1) was used to test significant clustering of behavioral risk factors with 95% confidence intervals. A larger observed value indicated that behavioral clustering among the examined risk behaviors was more likely to occur than any one singular risk behavior [1].
Authors and Affiliations
Karly S Geller, Kristen Welker, Rebecca Williams, Grace B Tigue
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP592297
- DOI 10.26717/BJSTR.2018.06.001310
- Views 138
- Downloads 0
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