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. 2011 Oct;101(10):1922-9.
doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300167. Epub 2011 Aug 18.

Low-risk lifestyle behaviors and all-cause mortality: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study

Earl S Ford  1 , Guixiang Zhao, James Tsai, Chaoyang Li
Affiliations

Low-risk lifestyle behaviors and all-cause mortality: findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study

Earl S Ford et al. Am J Public Health. 2011 Oct.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined the relationship between 4 low-risk behaviors-never smoked, healthy diet, adequate physical activity, and moderate alcohol consumption-and mortality in a representative sample of people in the United States.

Methods: We used data from 16958 participants aged 17 years and older in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study from 1988 to 2006.

Results: The number of low-risk behaviors was inversely related to the risk for mortality. Compared with participants who had no low-risk behaviors, those who had all 4 experienced reduced all-cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR]=0.37; 95% confidence interval [CI]=0.28, 0.49), mortality from malignant neoplasms (AHR=0.34; 95% CI=0.20, 0.56), major cardiovascular disease (AHR=0.35; 95% CI=0.24, 0.50), and other causes (AHR=0.43; 95% CI=0.25, 0.74). The rate advancement periods, representing the equivalent risk from a certain number of years of chronological age, for participants who had all 4 high-risk behaviors compared with those who had none were 11.1 years for all-cause mortality, 14.4 years for malignant neoplasms, 9.9 years for major cardiovascular disease, and 10.6 years for other causes.

Conclusions: Low-risk lifestyle factors exert a powerful and beneficial effect on mortality.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Distribution of low-risk lifestyle behaviors among participants aged 17 years or older at baseline: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III Mortality Study, United States, 1988–2006. Note. Bars represent a 95% confidence interval.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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