The Clustering of Lifestyle Risk Factors in the Serbian Adult Population and Association with Self-Rated Health

Our objective was to identify clusters of lifestyle risk factors among Serbian adults and assess associations with socio-demographic characteristics and self-rated health.

The sample included 7,885 adults aged 18 and over from the 2019 Serbian National Health Survey, who provided information on all four lifestyle risk factors (smoking, physical inactivity, low fruit and vegetable intake and risky drinking). The Two-Step Cluster Analysis was used to identify different health-related lifestyle clusters. Logistic regression models were used to assess the association of obtained clusters with socio-demographic characteristics and self-rated health.

Five distinct clusters of lifestyle risk factors were identified: Healthy lifestyle (cluster 1), Low fruit and vegetable intake (cluster 2), Physical inactivity (cluster 3), Smoking and other risk factors (cluster 4), Risky drinking and other risk factors (cluster 5). Multi-risk groups (cluster 4, cluster 5) exhibit specific socio-demographic characteristics (men, younger adults, living alone, less educated). Adults in unhealthy lifestyle clusters were more likely to report poor self-rated health than adults in the healthy lifestyle cluster.

Individuals who were men, younger, living alone, less educated and those with poor self-reported health were more likely to engage in clusters of lifestyle risk factors and represent high-priority population groups for multiple health behaviour change interventions.