title: Association of Behavioral Risk Factors for Chronic Diseases With Physical and Mental Health in European Adults Aged 50 Years or Older, 2004-2005.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Noncommunicable diseases are the leading cause of illness and death worldwide; behavioral risk factors (BRFs) contribute to these diseases. We assessed the presence of multiple BRFs among European adults according to their physical and mental health status.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data from 26,026 adults aged 50 years or older from 11 countries that participated in the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (2004-2005). BRFs (overweight or obesity, smoking, physical inactivity, and risky alcohol consumption) were assessed according to physical health (ie, presence of chronic diseases, disease symptoms, or limitations in activities of daily living) and mental health (depression) through multiple regression estimations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overweight or obesity in men and physical inactivity in women were the most prevalent BRFs. Compared with physically active adults, physically inactive adults had a higher mean number of chronic diseases (1.33 vs 1.26) and chronic disease symptoms (1.55 vs 1.47). Risky alcohol consumption (≥4 servings of an alcohol beverage ≥3 times a week) was associated with a higher mean depression score (2.84 vs 2.47). Compared with adults with 0 or 1 BRF, adults with 2 or more BRFs had significantly higher odds of having 1 or more chronic diseases (men: 1.52; women: 1.73) and functional limitations (men: 1.65; women: 1.79) and higher prevalence of high blood pressure (37.8% vs 28.2). Belgian adults with BRFs had the highest mean number of chronic diseases or functional limitations among those who were overweight or obese and the highest mean number of chronic diseases and disease symptoms among those who smoked and were physically inactive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found revealed significant positive associations between BRFs and poor health among middle-aged and older European adults. Primary health care intervention programs should focus on developing ways to reduce BRF prevalence in this population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, PO Box 2208, Heraklion 71003, Crete, Greece. Email: linman@med.uoc.gr.
authors.forename: Manolis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Linardakis
authors.affiliation: Centre for Exercise, Nutrition, and Health Sciences, School for Policy Studies, University of Bristol, United Kingdom, and Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papadaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Emmanouil
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Smpokos
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Micheli
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vozikaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Anastas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Philalithis
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012179:Retirement; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014944:World Health Organization