title: Stability and change in health-related behaviors of midlife Swedish women.
abstract: We investigated the dimensions and stability in health-related behaviors (HRBs) among midlife Swedish women, and the factors that predicted change in those behaviors. At age 43, 569 women from a representative longitudinal sample completed questionnaires about lifestyle (diet, exercise, smoking, alcohol) and participated in medical screening. Four years later we mailed a follow-up questionnaire. HRBs clustered in two dimensions: healthy eating and addictions. There was a high degree of stability in HRBs; all women slightly increased their HRBs over time. After controlling for previous HRBs, we found that education, marital status, and having children at home were significant predictors of HRBs 4 years later.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada. benzies@ucalgary.ca
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Benzies
authors.forename: Margit
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wångby
authors.forename: Lars R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Bergman
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology*; D016387:Women's Health