Simultaneity of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in the elderly in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to describe the simultaneity of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases among the elderly (≤ 60 years) in a city in Southern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of 1,451 elderly in 2013. Cluster analysis was applied to selected risk factors (smoking, alcohol consumption, excess weight, and physical inactivity). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between simultaneity of risk factors and socio-demographic variables. The most frequent cluster in men (18.1%) and women (30.7%) was physical inactivity + excess weight. The cluster alcohol consumption + excess weight exceeded the expected level in men (O/E = 1.27; 95%CI: 1.01; 1.59) and women (O/E = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.35; 2.20). The presence of two or more risk factors in the elderly population (88.1%) points to the need for specific interventions for this population to fight risk factors simultaneously rather than separately.