Subgroups of lifestyle patterns among hypertension patients: a latent-class analysis

Hypertension remains one of the most important preventable risk factors for diseases and death.
Identifying clustered patterns of modifiable lifestyle risk factors for hypertension and demographics factors
related to these clustered patterns allows for targeting health prevention interventions. Therefore, this study
aims to identify latent classes of hypertensive patients’ lifestyle risk factors based on the clustering of four
modifiable lifestyle risk factors: eating, physical activity patterns, smoking habits, and blood pressure control.
Methods: A total of 750 patients (Mage = 65.38 years, SDage = 9.2 years) with diagnosed hypertension in urban and rural
primary health care centers in Takab (Iran) were recruited randomly from August 2016 to February 2017. Latent
class analysis was performed by using proc. LCA in SAS 9.2.
Results: Three classes of lifestyle patterns were identified. About 14.4% of hypertensive patients were categorized in a
low-risk class (I), 54.6% in an intermediate-risk class (II), and 31% in a high-risk class (III) of lifestyle. A one-year increase in
age significantly increases the risk of membership in classes II and III. Similarly, being widowed or divorced
increases the risk of membership in classes II and III. Also, having a higher education level decreases the risk
of membership in classes II and III.
Conclusions: This study contributes to the literature on lifestyle behaviors among older adults and provides
evidence that there are considerable differences in lifestyle behaviors between subgroups of older adult patients.
The three profiles of hypertensive patients’ conditions suggest that because behaviors often occur simultaneously within
an individual level, a latent-class approach helps cluster co-occurrence risk behaviors and focuses on interventions targeted
to several healthy behaviors among high-risk patients