Lifestyle health behaviors of Hong Kong Chinese: results of a cluster analysis.

Sociodemographics affect health through pathways of lifestyle choices. Using data from a survey of 467 Hong Kong Chinese, this study aims to examine the prevalence of their lifestyle behaviors, identify profiles based on their sociodemographic and lifestyle variables, and compare differences among the profile groups. Two-step cluster analysis was used to identify natural profile groups within the data set: only 37% of the participants engaged in regular physical exercises, and less than 50% monitored their dietary intake carefully. The analysis yields 2 clusters, representing a "healthy" and a "less-healthy" lifestyle group. The "less-healthy" group was predominantly male, younger, employed, and had high-to-middle levels of education. The findings reveal the lifestyle behavior patterns and sociodemographic characteristics of a high-risk group, which are essential to provide knowledge for the planning of health promotion activities.