Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #107664

Tungsung Tseng¹, Ted T.L. Chen¹, and Hui-Yi Lin, Ph D². (1) Department of Community Health, Tulane University, 1501 Canel Street, New Orlenas, LA 70112, 5045856089, ttseng@tulane.edu, (2) Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center & School of Public Health, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, 1600 Canal Street, Suite 800, New Orleans, LA 70112

Literature shows that people who are using tobacco are often found also using alcohol and other drugs. In factor analysis these behaviors are often found clustered and fall into the same dimension. However, the literature reviewed presents no clear pattern showing the clustering of health behaviors. This study is thus designed using factor analysis to examine the relationship of cigarette smoking, betel nut chewing, alcohol drinking, and unsafe traffic behaviors. The database for this study was extrapolated from the Taiwan Health Behavior Risk Survey of 2002 in which 26,755 subjects were interviewed in a national sampling survey. A 81.92% response rate was achieved. All study respondents are people over age 15 years old or older. The result shows that cigarette smoking, betel nut chewing, alcohol drinking, and unsafe traffic behaviors are clustering together for male respondents in Taiwan. For female respondents, only cigarette smoking, betel nut chewing, and alcohol drinking clustered together. For females, unsafe traffic behavior, physical activity and prevention service utilization clustered as another behavioral pattern. The study results yield important information for the designing of a more cost-effective health promotion program.

Learning Objectives:

• examine the relationship of cigarette smoking, betel nut chewing, alcohol drinking, and unsafe traffic behaviors.

Keywords: Risky Behaviors, Gender

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.