Targets for Primary Prevention: Cultural, Social and Intrapersonal Factors Associated with Co-occurring Health-related Behaviours

Objective: Multiple studies have identified clusters of co-occurring health-related behaviours. Little is known, however, about factors associated with such clusters. This study aims to identify these factors and to assess whether their effects are in accordance with the Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI). Design: A cross-sectional study using a representative sample (N = 3497) of the Dutch population aged 19–40. Main Outcome Measures: Our data concerned 18 health-related behaviours combined in three clusters (Health, Alcohol and Delinquency) and 30 non-behaviour-specific (i.e. ultimate or distal) cultural, social and intrapersonal factors. The three clusters were used as outcomes in regression analyses. Results: Descriptive Norms of Friends and Gender were associated with all three behaviour clusters. Furthermore, Having Parents who Smoke or Consume Alcohol was associated with, respectively, the Health and Alcohol clusters. Self-Control and past Parental Monitoring were associated with the Health and Delinquency clusters. Effect sizes were moderate to large (r2: 0.05 to 0.22). Conclusion: Factors with a moderate to large association with several behaviour clusters were identified. These factors were located within the social and intrapersonal stream of the TTI, not within the cultural stream.