Health-risk behaviour in Croatia

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Biostatistics

Background:

• Understanding population health requires identifying distinct groups with shared characteristics.
• Health-risk behaviors and self-assessed health vary significantly across demographic segments.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated homogeneous clusters within the Croatian population regarding health behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify homogeneous clusters of individuals based on health-risk behaviors.
• To analyze the sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle, self-assessed health, and healthcare system usage within these clusters.
• To inform targeted public health prevention and intervention strategies.

Main Methods:

• A sample of patients from 13 Croatian counties and Zagreb was analyzed.
• Statistical methodology, including multiple factor analysis and hybrid clustering, was employed to create seven homogeneous clusters.
• Clusters were differentiated based on statistically significant differences in selected characteristics (P<0.001).

Main Results:

• Seven homogeneous clusters were identified: three male and four female.
• Self-assessed health generally declined with age but varied within age groups.
• Higher education and socio-economic status correlated with better self-assessed health.
• Females reported lower self-assessed health than males, even with healthy lifestyles and preventive care.
• Health-risk behaviors (alcohol, tobacco, diet, physical activity, healthcare non-use) significantly impacted males' self-assessed health.

Conclusions:

• Sociodemographic factors, lifestyle, self-assessed health, and healthcare utilization define distinct population clusters.
• The identified clusters provide a basis for developing targeted health promotion and disease prevention programs.
• Interventions should be tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of each homogeneous population cluster.