The effect of chronic disease family history on the adoption of healthier lifestyles

Abstract

Aim To determine the influence of family history (FH) and personal history (PH) of chronic disease (CD) in the adoption of healthy lifestyles. Methods This cross-sectional study was based on the EPIPorto cohort (n = 1588). Participants were grouped taking into account FH and PH of CD, such as diabetes, myocardial infarction, stroke, asthma, and cancer, and if at least one of the first-degree relatives had died from the CD. Age-, sex-, and education-adjusted odds ratios and corresponding 95% confidence intervals were computed using multinomial logistic regression. Results Subjects with PH and FH of CD were more likely to follow recommendations regarding salt intake but less likely regarding obesity measures. Overall, similar results were observed when repeating the analyses according to the type of CD, particularly in those with diabetes. Conclusions Recommendations towards healthier lifestyles are not followed by individuals with history of CD, at least in what concerns obesity measures. Our study suggests reducing obesity as a major target for interventions in these groups of individuals.