161707 Health Lifestyle Patterns of California Adolescents: Racial/Ethnic Disparities and the Role of Mental Health

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Ritesh Mistry, PhD, MPH , Division of Cancer Prevention and Control Research, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
William McCarthy, PhD , Department of Health Services, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Antronette Yancey, MD, MPH , Kaiser-Permante Center for Health Equity, UCLA School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
Roshan Bastani, PhD , Department of Health Services, University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA
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:
1. Recognize that in adolescents there is clustering of lifestyle behavioral risk factors to chronic diseases (i.e. smoking, alcohol use, lack of physical activity, and unhealthy nutrition) – i.e., these behaviors tend to be interrelated. 2. Identify racial/ethnic disparities in the clustering of lifestyle behaviors in California adolescents. 3. Recognize that depressiveness is associated with lifestyle behaviors and learn how programs that promote healthful lifestyle choices in adolescents might also address mental health.

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.

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