title: A cross-sectional survey and latent class analysis of the prevalence and clustering of health risk factors among people attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Indigenous Australians are a socially disadvantaged group who experience significantly poorer health and a higher prevalence of modifiable health behaviours than other Australians. Little is known about the clustering of health risks among Indigenous Australians. The aims of this study were to describe the clustering of key health risk factors, such as smoking, physical inactivity and alcohol consumption, and socio-demographics associated with clusters, among a predominantly Aboriginal sample.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants (n = 377) attending an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS) in regional/rural New South Wales, Australia, in 2012-2013 completed a self-report touch screen health risk survey. Clusters were identified using latent class analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cluster 1 ('low fruit/vegetable intake, lower risk'; 51%) consisted of older men and women; Cluster 2 ('risk taking'; 22%) included younger unemployed males with a high prevalence of smoking, risky alcohol, and illicit drug use. Cluster 3 ('inactive, overweight, depressed'; 28%) was characterised by younger to mid aged women likely to have experienced emotional or physical violence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  If future research identifies similar stable clusters of health behaviours for this population, intervention approaches targeting these clusters of risk factors should be developed and tested for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Level 4 West HMRI Building, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. Natasha.Noble@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Natasha E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Level 4 West HMRI Building, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. Chris.Paul@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Christine L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine and Public Health & Department of Rural Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. Nicole.Turner@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: Casino Aboriginal Medical Service, 43 Johnson Street, Casino, NSW, 2470, Australia. sblunden@casinoams.com.
authors.forename: Stephen V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Blunden
authors.affiliation: Hunter Medical Research Institute and Faculty of Health, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. Christopher.Oldmeadow@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Oldmeadow
authors.affiliation: Priority Research Centre for Health Behaviour, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle, Level 4 West HMRI Building, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia. Heidi.Turon@newcastle.edu.au.
authors.forename: Heidi E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Turon
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult; D000095283:Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples