Author(s)

Jennifer Vieira Paschoalin Marques, Carla Regina de Souza Teixeira, Maria Lucia Zanetti, Vívian Saraiva Veras, Paula Parisi Hodniki, Luis Fernando Costa Pereira

Fundamental Nursing Department, Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.

Aims: to analyze the presence and simultaneity of behavioral risk factors for chronic non-communicable disease (NCD) in adults and the elderly. Methods: quantitative, cross-sectional and observational study. Healthy and unhealthy eating are classified according to the frequency of food consumption. Smoking is expressed by the percentage of smokers. Harmful alcohol consumption by the percentage of individuals who consumed alcoholic beverages at least once in the last 30 days. Classification of the level of physical inactivity required to practice at least 150 minutes of physical activity. Results: the sample constituted 719 people, 535 adults and 184 elderly. The behavioral risk factor reported by most adults 499 (93.3%) and elderly 156 (84.8%) was unhealthy eating. Frequency 72% higher of smoking, four times higher of harmful alcohol consumption and 10% higher of unhealthy food among adults when compared to the elderly. The simultaneity between risk factors was 39% greater in adults than in the elderly. Discussion: risk factors evaluated in this study are key aspects of the development of NCDs. Adults have 2.43 times the chance of presenting two risk factors and 7.73 times the chance of presenting three in relation to the elderly. Conclusion: To achieve more effective and differentiated results, knowing and directing measures to control behavioral risk factors, whether isolated or concurrent, requires specific knowledge.

Risk Factors, Chronic Disease, Adult, Elderly People, Health Unic System

Marques, J. , Teixeira, C. , Zanetti, M. , Veras, V. , Hodniki, P. and Pereira, L. (2022) Behavioral Risk Factors for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases in Adults and Elderly People in the City of Ribeirão Preto—SP. Journal of Biosciences and Medicines, 10, 42-54. doi: 10.4236/jbm.2022.1012005.