Prevalence and determinants of behavioral risk factors for noncommunicable diseases among students aged 13–19 years in Turkey

Objective

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and determinants of behavioral risk factors for noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) among students aged 13–19 years in Turkey.

Methods

This cross-sectional study included a total of 1218 high-school students (mean age = 15.97 years; 57.6 % females) in Turkey. A facilitated survey in the form of a questionnaire was used to gather data. Questions from the Global School-Based Student Health Survey were adapted for the study, and the responses were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 28. Binary logistic regression and Poisson regression were applied to identify the contributing factors.

Results

The prevalence of inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption was 85.5 %, sedentary leisure behavior 80.9 %, physical inactivity 65.3 %, carbonated soft drink consumption 60.4 %, overweight or obesity 38.1 %, current tobacco use 23.1 %, and current alcohol use 14.5 %. The adjusted Poisson regression analysis showed that the odds for having behavioral risk factors were increased by being male, being in grade 11, and attending physical education classes, whereas the odds were reduced by having multiple psychological distress issues, regularly attending school, and having moderate or high parental support.

Conclusion

The prevalence of clustering of modifiable risk factors for NCDs was high among students aged 13–19 years in Turkey, and there is a need to mount effective interventions. Risk factors for these diseases are often preventable: Appropriate health interventions before, during, and after pregnancy as well as throughout childhood and adolescence can significantly reduce their prevalence.