Simultaneity of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases in the elderly in Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil

This study aimed to describe the simultaneity of risk factors for chronic non-communicable diseases among the elderly (<= 60 years) in a city in Southern Brazil. This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of 1,451 elderly in 2013. Cluster analysis was applied to selected risk factors ( smoking, alcohol consumption, excess weight, and physical inactivity). Logistic regression was used to assess the association between simultaneity of risk factors and socio-demographic variables. The most frequent cluster in men (18.1%) and women (30.7%) was physical inactivity + excess weight. The cluster alcohol consumption + excess weight exceeded the expected level in men (O/E = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.01; 1.59) and women (O/E = 1.72; 95% CI: 1.35; 2.20). The presence of two or more risk factors in the elderly population (88.1%) points to the need for specific interventions for this population to fight risk factors simultaneously rather than separately.