Lifestyle patterns in the Iranian population: Self- organizing map application.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Lifestyle behaviors significantly impact population health.
• Understanding demographic associations with lifestyle is crucial for targeted interventions.
• Previous research on Iranian lifestyle patterns requires updated evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate lifestyle behavior patterns in the Iranian population.
• To identify associations between lifestyle behaviors and demographic factors.
• To inform public health strategies for promoting healthier lifestyles.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 8244 participants (aged 25-70) of a 2011 national survey.
• Collected lifestyle data (diet, physical activity, tobacco use) via questionnaire.
• Employed self-organizing maps for cluster analysis and multinomial logistic models for association assessment.

Main Results:

• Seven distinct lifestyle clusters were identified, with only 15.84% exhibiting the healthiest patterns.
• Prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles included lack of recreational physical activity (33.73%) and high-risk behaviors (e.g., smoking, poor diet).
• Male gender, lower education, and manual labor occupations were associated with unhealthy lifestyle clusters.

Conclusions:

• A small fraction of the population demonstrates healthy lifestyles, often with poor nutrition.
• Public health initiatives should address low recreational physical activity in specific age and occupational groups.
• Targeted interventions are needed for high work-related physical activity combined with smoking, particularly among less educated men.