SIMULTANEITY OF HEALTH RISK BEHAVIORS AND FACTORS ASSOCIATED IN BRAZILIAN AGING: Data from the Longitudinal Study of Health of Brazilian Elderly

• Grant number: 24/14605-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Collective Health - Public Health
• Principal Investigator: Ligiana Pires Corona
• Grantee: Maria Clara Fortes Vitale
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas (FCA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Limeira , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Associated with the rapid aging of the Brazilian population, there is a significant increase in Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), which are responsible for the country's high mortality rate. Among the risk factors for the development of these diseases, there are both non-modifiable and modifiable factors, with the latter being characterized as health risk behaviors. These behaviors often occur simultaneously, with their combination being more detrimental to health than when their individual effects are added together. There are few studies aiming to understand the clustering of risk behaviors in the Brazilian population, and of those conducted, none have specifically addressed the elderly population in a national context, which is highly susceptible to modifiable risk factors. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the simultaneity of health risk behaviors and their associated factors in elderly Brazilians. Data from the first wave (baseline) of the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ELSI-Brasil), the first large-scale national longitudinal study on aging, will be used. The analysis will focus on the main modifiable risk factors for NCDs, considering the occurrence of simultaneity when there is any combination of two or more factors: physical inactivity, alcoholism, smoking, and inadequate dietary consumption. Sociodemographic factors and health conditions associated with each combination of factors will be evaluated. Analyses will be conducted using Stata® software, with a critical p-value level of <0.05. The results are expected to contribute to the understanding of this phenomenon and the establishment of more effective and accessible health strategies targeted at groups with multiple risk factor combinations.