Simultaneity of behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular disease in university students

ABSTRACT: Objective: To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with clustering of four behavioral risk factors - physical inactivity, high fat intake, harmful use of alcohol and tobacco use - for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) among undergraduate students from Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Methods: Cross-sectional study. Socio-demographic variables, breakfast habits, satisfaction with body image, body mass index, and self-perceived general health were analyzed. The outcome evaluated was simultaneity of risk factors for CVD. Crude and adjusted analyses were carried out, stratified by gender, using ordinal logistic regression, extracting odds ratio with respective 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) and p values. Results: The sample was composed of 1,123 students (response rate: 66.0%); of these, 24.7% had two or more risk factors. In the adjusted analysis, the variables intermediate maternal education, absence of breakfast habit, and poor or regular self-perceived general health was significantly associated (p < 0.05) with the outcomes. Conclusion: The results indicate an important prevalence of two or more simultaneous risk factors among undergraduate students. It was possible to outline which groups are more susceptible to more risk factors. The association between absence of breakfast habit and poor/regular self-perceived general health are highlighted.