Associations of environment and lifestyle factors with suboptimal health status: a population-based cross-sectional study in urban China

Abstract

Introduction: Suboptimal health status (SHS), an intermediate state between chronic disease and health, is characterized by chronic fatigue, non-specific pain, headaches, dizziness, anxiety, depression, and functional system disorders with a high prevalence worldwide. Although some lifestyle factors (e.g. smoking, alcohol consumption, physical exercise) and environmental factors (e.g. air quality, noise, living conditions) have already been studied, few studies can comprehensively illustrate the associations of lifestyle and environment factors with general, physical, mental, and social SHS.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 6750 urban residents aged 14 years or over in five random cities from September 2017 to September 2018 through face-to-face questionnaires. There were 5881 valid questionnaires with a response rate of 87%. A general linear model and structural equation model were developed to quantify the effects of lifestyle behaviors and environment factors on SHS.

Results: The detection rates of general, physical, mental, and social SHS were 66.7, 67.0, 65.5, and 70.0%, respectively. Good lifestyle behaviors and favorable environment factors positively affected SHS (P < 0.001). Lifestyle behaviors had the largest effect on physical SHS (β = - 0.418), but the least on social SHS (β = - 0.274). Environment factors had the largest effect on mental SHS (β = 0.286), but the least on physical SHS (β = 0.225).

Conclusions: Lifestyle behaviors and environment factors were important influencing factors of SHS. Physical SHS was more associated with lifestyle. Lifestyle and environment were similarly associated with mental and social SHS.

Keywords: China; Environment; Lifestyle behaviors; Suboptimal health status; Urban residents.

Fig. 1

Structural equation model involving lifestyle, environment, and SHS (A = GS, B = PS, C = MS, and D = SS)