Multiple Behavioral Risk Factors As Assets for Chronic Disease Prevention: Observations From Urban Primary Care Settings in Crete, Greece

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to assess the health profile of patient-attendees visiting primary healthcare (PHC) practice settings in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the relationships between multiple behavioral risk factors (MBRFs) and consultation-driven health information. Multiple behavioral risk factors involve a variety of unhealthy behaviors that are associated with an increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Subjects and methods: The study design was based on a dataset analysis, afterward exploring the feasibility and diagnostic capacity of respiratory morbidity aspects from a study previously conducted. The study dataset contained information regarding socio-demographic characteristics, health habits, clinical information, and reported comorbidities from 183 primary care patient-attendees. A categorical regression analysis was performed, using as a numeric variable the multiple MBRFs (clustering of 0 to four factors) in order to examine relationships with the basic and clinical characteristics of the patient-attendees. Results: Based on this secondary analysis, it was found that the prevalence of MBRFs is quite common among patient-attendees visiting urban PHC facilities. The prevalence of current smoking, sleep deprivation, increased body weight, and medium/high perceived stress levels were 33.9%, 52.5%, 83.1%, and 35.0%, respectively. An increased occurrence of MBRFs might be significantly predicted by the lower age of patient-attendees (b = -0.221, p = 0.05), by the absence of gray hair at an early age (b = -0.144, p = 0.042), by the physical discomfort during activities (b = 0.191, p = 0.017), or by the lower oxygen saturation (b = -0.184, p = 0.004). Diabetes mellitus (25.1%) was the most prevalent condition, followed by bronchial asthma (18.6%) and depression (15.8%). Conclusions: Lower age, absence of premature hair whitening, physical discomfort during activities, and lower oxygen saturation are linked with an increased occurrence of MBRFs, leading to a neglected way of living. Those factors could be used to alert researchers, policymakers, and PHC professionals to act accordingly in order to prevent or early diagnose NCDs.