ICPHSP4001 

                                                                                                         

“Gender is a Strong Predictor of Multiple Health Risk Behaviors in Young Adults: the LATO Study in Greece.”                                 Click here to download Pdf file.

 

 Authors:    

George Kritsotakis1, Theocharris Konstandinidis2, Maria Psarrou3, Thalia Bellali4, Anastas E. Philalithis5

 

Affiliation:  

1Assistant Professor, Nursing Department, TEI of Crete, Greece

 2Lecturer, Nursing Department, TEI of Crete

3Researcher, Nursing Department, TEI of Crete

4Associate Professor, Nursing Department, TEI of Thessaloniki

5Professor, Medical Department, University of Crete

 

 

Abstract:

Risk behaviors pose a threat to future health and quality of life in young adults. However, little research has focused on understanding the role gender may have on the formation of multiple health risk behaviors during university years. This cross sectional analysis draws on the results of the LATO study, a 3-year prospective cohort that started on 2012, including all 1st year higher education students of TEI Crete, Greece.

We estimated the prevalence and distribution of single and concurrent health risk behaviors and their differences between male and female young adults. Health behaviors examined included measures of dietary patterns, BMI, use of tobacco/alcohol, substance abuse, physical activity, tooth-brushing, sunburns, sedentary behaviors and sexual risk-taking. Participants (1213 students, response rate>95%) completed an anonymous questionnaire based on HBSC and ESPAD studies with additional context-specific questions. Of them, 1058 had complete data (45.2% male; mean age 18.3±0.6 years). Descriptive and chi-square tests were performed along with regression models adjusted for potential confounders. All tests were performed with SPSS 21.0.

Prevalence for risk behaviors were high; e.g. over 12% reported lifetime hashish use, 28% smoke regularly, 26.3% consume junk food 2 to 6 times per week and 41.5% reported more than six hours screen time every day. Boys had healthier behaviors than girls only in physical activity (40.8% vs. 22.4% for recommended activity, p<0.001; and OR’s for girls’ physical inactivity=2.25, 95%CI 1.70-2.98). In adjusted regression models, girls had better indices in BMI, tooth brushing, red meat consumption, junk food consumption, binge drinking, hashish use, and number of sexual partners (for all p<0.05). No statistical significant gender differences were found for condom use, smoking, sunburns, breakfast, fruit and vegetable consumption and sedentary behaviors. Only 0.3% of the students had only one risk behavior and 6.2% had 4 or less behaviors in a total of fourteen. Furthermore, 21.3% of the students had 10 or more risk behaviors (boys: 31.5%; girls: 12.6%, p<0.05).

Although multiple health risk behaviors are prevalent in both genders, preventive interventions may need to focus on gender-specific approaches when targeting single or clustered health risk behaviors.

 

Key words:  

smoking, alcohol, physical activity, multiple health risk behaviors, undergraduate students, Greece

 

 

Funding:

The study was implemented through the Operational Program ‘Education and Lifelong Learning’ (Archimedes III) and was co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national funds (NSRF 2007 - 2013).