title: Accumulated behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in Southern Brazil.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the prevalence of, and identify factors associated with, accumulated risky behavior relating to cardiovascular diseases among adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a population-based cross-sectional study on a representative sample of 2732 adults of both sexes in Pelotas, Southern Brazil, in 2010. The behavioral risk factors investigated were: smoking; leisure-time physical inactivity; habitual consumption of visible fat in meat; and daily consumption of processed meats, red meat and whole milk. The study outcome was the accumulated behavioral risk factors score, ranging from zero to three: no behavioral risk factor for cardiovascular diseases or exposure to 1, 2 or > 3 behavioral risk factors. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to evaluate the adjusted effect of individual characteristics on behavioral risk factors accumulation, taking individuals without any of these factors as the reference category.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical inactivity was the most prevalent risk factor (75.6%), followed by habitual consumption of visible fat in meat (52.3%). Two thirds of the population presented two or more behavioral risk factors. Combined physical inactivity and habitual consumption of visible fat in meat was observed in 17.5% of the sample; and combined physical inactivity, habitual consumption of visible fat in meat and smoking in 6.7%. The odds ratios for accumulation of two or more risk factors were higher among men and were inversely associated with a national economic indicator.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was a high accumulation of behavioral risk factors for cardiovascular diseases among the study population. Public interventions with the capacity to prevent simultaneous occurrence of these factors are needed.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, RS, Brasil. ludmuniz@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Ludmila Correa
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Muniz
authors.forename: Bruna Celestino
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Inácio Crochemore Mohnsam da
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matijasevich
authors.forename: Iná Silva
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult