Cluster and simultaneity of modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in adolescents of Southeast Brazil

Abstract Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the cluster of the five major modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and their associated factors and to identify patterns of concurrency of modifiable obesogenic risk factors associated with overweight in Brazilian adolescents. Methods: A survey was conducted (2015) with 1,055 (boys, n = 475; girls, n = 580) high school (public and private schools) adolescents (14-20 years old) in a medium-sized city in Southeast Brazil. The observed prevalence ratio (O) for the expected (E) risk factors (smoking, alcohol, insufficient physical activity, sedentary behavior, and poor diet) greater than one (O/E > 1) was considered as a cluster. We use multinomial and binary logistic regressions (stratified by sex) in the analyzes. Results: Almost 30% of adolescents had three or more risk factors (no factor = 5.4%). The five risk factors tended to cluster in boys (O/E = 2.5; 95% CI = 1.6-3.5). In both sexes, smoking and alcohol consumption persisted in O/E > 1 ratio. Conclusions: Boys showed a consistent pattern of association for risk factors. Overweight was associated with pairs of obesogenic risk factors in both sexes. The results indicate the need for health interventions that consider the cluster and the simultaneity of risk factors for CVD among Brazilian youth.