Abstract
Limited research has explored clustering of lifestyle behavioral risk factors (BRFs) among university students. This study aimed to explore clustering of BRFs, composition of clusters, and the association of the clusters with self-rated health and perceived academic performance. We assessed (BRFs), namely tobacco smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol consumption, illicit drug use, unhealthy nutrition, and inadequate sleep, using a self-administered general Student Health Survey among 3,706 undergraduates at seven UK universities. A two-step cluster analysis generated: Cluster 1 (the high physically active and health conscious) with very high health awareness/consciousness, good nutrition, and physical activity (PA), and relatively low alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use. Cluster 2 (the abstinent) had very low ATOD use, high health awareness, good nutrition, and medium high PA. Cluster 3 (the moderately health conscious) included the highest regard for healthy eating, second highest fruit/vegetable consumption, and moderately high ATOD use. Cluster 4 (the risk taking) showed the highest ATOD use, were the least health conscious, least fruit consuming, and attached the least importance on eating healthy. Compared to the healthy cluster (Cluster 1), students in other clusters had lower self-rated health, and particularly, students in the risk taking cluster (Cluster 4) reported lower academic performance. These associations were stronger for men than for women. Of the four clusters, Cluster 4 had the youngest students. Our results suggested that prevention among university students should address multiple BRFs simultaneously, with particular focus on the younger students.
Highlights
Major modifiable detrimental behavioral risk factors (BRFs) are known to limit peoples’ capabilities
We identified and described the clustering of five major health lifestyle BRFs, that included the “big four” modifiable health behaviors (ATOD, nutrition, physical activity (PA), and sleep); and examined the associations of the resulting clusters with students’ self-rated health and academic performance
Multiple BRFs were prevalent in a significant proportion of our undergraduates, denoting the coexistence of health damaging lifestyle characteristics
Summary
Major modifiable detrimental behavioral risk factors (BRFs) (e.g., tobacco use, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, and harmful consumption of alcohol) are known to limit peoples’ capabilities. To date, these modifiable BRFs still represent significant burdens among university students [1,2,3,4,5]. [3, 4] did not investigate the association between belonging to risky behavior cluster/s and poor health or lower academic outcomes Such information would be relevant, as the propensity of the collective clustering of unhealthy behaviors exponentially exacerbates the risk for comorbidity in later life [8, 9]. This study aimed to explore clustering of BRFs, composition of clusters, and the association of the clusters with self-rated health and perceived academic performance
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