Patterns of lifestyle risk behaviors among Saudi Arabian school students

Abstract

Background: Lifestyle risk behaviours initiated at a young age tend to remain in adulthood. Clustering of lifestyle risk behaviours has negative cumulative effects on health. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of clustering lifestyle risk behaviours (smoking, physical inactivity, high sugars intake, low fruits and vegetables intake, and infrequent tooth brushing) among younger and older Saudi male adolescents.Methods: A stratified cluster random sample of 1213 Saudi Arabian male school students living in Riyadh city answered adapted WHO health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) questionnaire on health-related behaviours. The patterns of clustering lifestyle risk behaviours were assessed using an observed to expected ratio (O/E) method.Results: The results showed that 10 (in older adolescents) and 09 (in younger adolescents) out of 27 combinations of lifestyle risk behaviors clustered. The combination of three risk behaviors (smoking, physical inactivity and high sugars intake) clustered with the highest O/E ratio of 3.16 among younger adolescents, while the combination of (smoking, high sugars intake and low fruits/vegetables intake) was among older adolescents with O/E: of 1.67.Conclusions: The current study identifies patterns of clustering lifestyle risk behaviours among younger and older Saudi male adolescents. Identification of these patterns is important for health promotion interventions.