Multiple risk factors

There are many behavioural and lifestyle risk factors which impact on health. A 2009 report from the World Health Organisation identifies five which, between them they estimate contribute around 90% of the total burden of disease in high income country populations. These are tobacco use, alcohol consumption, poor diet, physical inactivity, overweight and obesity. A report from the Global Burden of Disease project (Forouzanfar 2016) describes the global contribution of selected risks and clusters of risks.

Risk factors are often considered in isolation, and in relation only to specific diseases. However, multiple risk factors may occur together (Lawder 2010, Meader 2016) and they may interact, so having two may have a greater effect than may be expected from the effect of each. When two or more risk factors are present in an individual, there is an opportunity to address more than one at a time.

The Scottish Health Survey includes analysis of the presence of multiple risk factors within the Scottish population. Reports based on the survey provide prevalence estimates for different points in time 2003, 2010, 2012/2013 and 2016. The risk factors or combination of risk factors considered by each of the surveys has varied over time therefore direct comparisons between all survey years is not always possible.