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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Tung-Sung Tseng, DrPH¹, Hui-Yi Lin², and Ted Chen, Ph D¹. (1) Community Health Sciences, Tulane University, Suite 2320, 1440 Canal Street, SL-29, New Orleans, LA 70112, 988-6089, ttsung@yahoo.com, (2) Health Sciences Center, Louisiana State University, 1600 Canal Street, Suite 800, new orleans, LA 70112

The purpose of this study is to analyze dimensionality of health related risk and protective behaviors. Data used are derived from the Taiwan National Health Risk Behavior Survey of 2002. A total of 26,755 subjects interviewed in a national sampling survey were used in the study. The survey resulted in 81.92% response rate. All study respondents are people over age 15 years old or older. This study was developed to test the hypotheses of (1) There are more than one health behavioral patterns exist in the study population. (2) The health risk and protective behaviors exist independently. Pearson correlation analysis was used to check the relationships between pairs of health related behaviors. Factor analysis with orthogonal (Varimax) rotation was applied to identify the underlying factor structure of the data set. The study found that (1) this study found that there are two kinds of behavioral patterns (protective behaviors pattern and risk behaviors pattern). (2) Protective behaviors (intake of fruits and vegetables, prevention service utilization, physical activity and tooth brushing) were positively correlated with one another, but they are also negatively correlated with risk behaviors including cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and betel nut chewing. (3) The multi-dimensional phenomenon of behavioral patterns exists independent of the influence gender and age. The study finding bears important implication to the development of health promotion programs in that: (1) clusters of health risk or protective behaviors should be addressed together in the program, (2) age and gender should be based in designing intervention programs.

Learning Objectives:

• To analyze dimensionality of health related risk and protective behaviors.

Keywords: Health Behavior, Public Health Education and Health Promotion

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered