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. 2016 Nov 10;6(11):e011571.
doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011571.

Patterns of health-related behaviours among adolescents: a cross-sectional study based on the National Survey of School Health Brazil 2012

Catarina Machado Azeredo  1 , Renata Bertazzi Levy  2 , Maria Fernanda Tourinho Peres  2 , Paulo Rossi Menezes  2 , Ricardo Araya  3
Affiliations

Patterns of health-related behaviours among adolescents: a cross-sectional study based on the National Survey of School Health Brazil 2012

Catarina Machado Azeredo et al. BMJ Open. .

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the clustering of multiple health-related behaviours among adolescents and describe which socio-demographic characteristics are associated with these patterns.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Brazilian schools assessed by the National Survey of School Health (PeNSE, 2012).

Participants: 104 109 Brazilian ninth-grade students from public and private schools (response rate=82.7%).

Methods: Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to identify behaviour clustering and linear regression models were used to identify socio-demographic characteristics associated with each one of these behaviour patterns.

Results: We identified a good fit model with three behaviour patterns. The first was labelled 'problem-behaviour' and included aggressive behaviour, alcohol consumption, smoking, drug use and unsafe sex; the second was labelled 'health-compromising diet and sedentary behaviours' and included unhealthy food indicators and sedentary behaviour; and the third was labelled 'health-promoting diet and physical activity' and included healthy food indicators and physical activity. No differences in behaviour patterns were found between genders. The problem-behaviour pattern was associated with male gender, older age, more developed region (socially and economically) and public schools (compared with private). The 'health-compromising diet and sedentary behaviours' pattern was associated with female gender, older age, mothers with higher education level and more developed region. The 'health-promoting diet and physical activity' pattern was associated with male gender and mothers with higher education level.

Conclusions: Three health-related behaviour patterns were found among Brazilian adolescents. Interventions to decrease those negative patterns should take into account how these behaviours cluster together and the individuals most at risk.

Keywords: adolescents; factor analysis; health-risk behaviours; multiple risk behaviours.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Behaviour patterns and factorial loads assessed by confirmatory factor analysis. National Survey of Health among ninth-grade students—PeNSE, 2012.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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