Dietary and health risk behaviors for metabolic diseases in different age groups: a cross-sectional study in Chongqing, China.

Background: The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the frequency of metabolic diseases (MetD) and dietary behaviors as well as health risk behaviors in various age groups.

Methods: This Cross-Sectional study involved 12,215 participants, and the relationship between MetD and health risk behaviors was discussed using Pearson chi-square tests and unordered binary logistics regression. The Apriori algorithm was used to explore and analyze the combination patterns of health risk behaviors.

Results: Insufficient sleep as a risk factor for MetD (for young adults, odds ratio (OR): 1.31, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.15, 1.50; for middle-aged adults, OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.33). For young adults, maladaptive emotion was a risk factor (OR: 1.45; 95% CI: 1.18, 1.80), and their risk of MetD was 1.48 times higher with three health risk behaviors compared with those with no or only one health risk behavior (95% CI: 1.27, 1.72). As for dietary behaviors, meat-based diet, greasy and salty taste preferences were associated with MetD.

Conclusions: High-risk alcohol consumption is a risk factor for MetD in elderly adults. Insufficient sleep was a common risk factor for MetD in young and middle-aged groups. Young adults may also be affected by maladaptive emotion and the number of risk factors. Poor dietary behaviors such as meat-based diet, greasy and salty dietary taste, may increase risk, particularly among young adults. We should consider interventions systematically and comprehensively targeting modern lifestyles of different key age group populations such as young adults.