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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing
5023.0: Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - Board 4

Abstract #161707

Health Lifestyle Patterns of California Adolescents: Racial/Ethnic Disparities and the Role of Mental Health

Ritesh Mistry, PhD, MPH1, William McCarthy, PhD2, Antronette Yancey, MD, MPH2, and Roshan Bastani, PhD3. (1) Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, UCLA School of Public Health, 650 Charles Young Drive South, Room A2-125; Box 956900, Los Angeles, CA 90025-6900, 310-825-8848, riteshm@ucla.edu, (2) Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Box 951772, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1772, (3) Department of Health Services, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, Box 951722, Los Angeles, CA 90095

OBJECTIVES: Characterize racial/ethnic disparities in health lifestyle of California adolescents and evaluate gender differences in depressiveness-health lifestyle associations.

METHODS: Population-weighted California Health Interview Survey 2003 (N=4010). Cluster analysis produced four health lifestyle clusters (C1-C4) based on current smoking, ever drinking alcohol, eating five fruits/vegetables (5FV) daily, and following federal physical activity (PA) recommendations. Depressiveness: lowest quintile scores on Center for Epidemiology Studies-Depression Scale. Multinomial regression measured lifestyle clusters-depressiveness association, controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, home English use, poverty, parent education and age.

RESULTS: C1 (15%) had healthiest lifestyle: all non-smokers, ate 5FV, did recommended PA, and never had alcohol. C2 (32%) had 1% smokers and none ate 5FV. C3 (27%) had 13% smokers, 77% did not eat 5FV, and 99% had alcohol. C4 (26%) had unhealthiest lifestyle: 8% smokers, none did recommended PA, 84% did not eat 5FV, and 40% had alcohol. Compared to whites and relative to C1, Asians less likely to be in C3 (RRR= 0.4, 95%CI=0.3-0.8), and Hispanics (RRR=1.6, 95%CI=1.1-2.5) and African Americans (RRR=2.2, 95%CI=1.1-4.3) more likely to be in C4. Relative to C1, depressiveness associated with being in C3 (RRR=1.7, 95%CI=1.1-2.4) and C4 (RRR=2.2, 95%CI=1.5-3.1), but not C2 (RRR=1.1, 95%CI=0.8-1.6). Association of depressiveness with being in C3 and C4 relative to C1 was higher for girls (C3:RRR=3.5, 95%CI=1.7-7.2; C4:RRR=3.8, 95%CI=1.9-7.6) than boys (C3:RRR=0.9, 95%CI=0.6-1.5; C4:RRR=1.3, 95%CI=0.8-2.2).

CONCLUSIONS: Unhealthful lifestyle was common in California adolescents with Hispanics and African Americans at increased risk. Programs promoting healthful lifestyle should target these ethnicities and address mental health, especially in girls.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Adolescents, Chronic Diseases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Adolescent Mental Health

The 135th APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 3-7, 2007) of APHA