CLUSTERING OF RISK HABITS IN YOUNG-ADULTS - THE CARDIOVASCULAR RISK IN YOUNG FINNS STUDY

The authors studied the occurrence of common lifestyle risk factors, n amely, nonprudent diet, smoking, physical inactivity, and frequent ine briation by alcohol in a cohort of young adults aged 18, 21, and 24 ye ars (n = 484) as part of the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study in 1986. Risk habits showed significant clustering; the number of subj ects was greater than expected in groups with zero and three to four r isk habits and less than expected in the group with only one or two ri sk habits. Stepwise logistic regression analysis was used to find inde pendent determinants for this clustering from a set of socioeconomic, demographic, and behavioral (type A components) determinants, The logi stic model suggested several independent risk factors for risk habit c lustering, These included male sex, aggressiveness, and past unemploym ent, Paying a lot of attention to health habits, higher education (bei ng a student), good self-perceived health, and a high sense of respons ibility seemed to be protective factors against risk habit clustering, The accumulation of risk habits was also associated with an atherogen ic lipid and blood pressure profile (clustering of high density lipopr otein cholesterol/total cholesterol ratio, triglycerides, and diastoli c blood pressure in their extreme tertiles). These findings show that common risk habits cluster among young adults. Knowledge about the det erminants of this clustering will aid in the planning of future preven tive strategies against cardiovascular diseases in young people.