A latent class analysis of cancer risk behaviors among U.S. college students

- Cancer risk behaviors/conditions clustered among U.S. college students in 2010.
- Low fruit/vegetable intake and physical inactivity were common among all students.
- Cancer risk behaviors/conditions appeared to cluster differentially by race/ethnicity.
- Tobacco use and overweight/obesity co-occurred among Black students.
- All five cancer risk factors co-occurred in a subgroup of American Indian students.

ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to understand how cancer risk behaviors cluster in U.S. college students and vary by race and ethnicity.MethodsUsing the fall 2010 wave of the National College Health Assessment (NCHA), we conducted a latent class analysis (LCA) to evaluate the clustering of cancer risk behaviors/conditions: tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, alcohol binge drinking, and overweight/obesity. The identified clusters were then examined separately by students' self-reported race and ethnicity.ResultsAmong 30,093 college students surveyed, results show a high prevalence of unhealthy diet as defined by insufficient fruit and vegetable intake (> 95%) and physical inactivity (> 60%). The LCA identified behavioral clustering for the entire sample and distinct clustering among Black and American Indian students.ConclusionsCancer risk behaviors/conditions appear to cluster among college students differentially by race. Understanding how risk behaviors cluster in young adults can lend insight to racial disparities in cancer through adulthood. Health behavior interventions focused on modifying multiple risk behaviors and tailored to students' racial group could potentially have a much larger effect on cancer prevention than those targeting any single behavior.