PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Forrester, Sarah N AU - Leoutsakos, Jeannie-Marie AU - Gallo, Joseph J AU - Thorpe, Roland J AU - Seeman, Teresa E TI - Association between allostatic load and health behaviours: a latent class approach AID - 10.1136/jech-2018-211289 DP - 2019 Apr 01 TA - Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health PG - 340--345 VI - 73 IP - 4 4099 - http://jech.bmj.com/content/73/4/340.short 4100 - http://jech.bmj.com/content/73/4/340.full SO - J Epidemiol Community Health2019 Apr 01; 73 AB - Background Allostatic load (AL) has been characterised in many ways throughout the literature; however, its relationship to health behaviours has only been studied in limited populations. We aimed to uncover qualitative patterns of biological indicators in AL and determine if those patterns were associated with certain health behaviours.Methods We conducted latent class analysis using biological indicators from a multiethnic population. We fit latent class regression of class on health behaviours (smoking, poor diet, physical activity and alcohol use) to measure the association between each latent class of AL and each health behaviour.Results Four classes, ‘Metabolic+Cholesterol, ‘Blood Pressure’, ‘Metabolic+Blood Pressure’ and ‘Low’, were found in the sample. Latent class regression showed that physical activity and alcohol use were significantly associated with the ‘Metabolic+Blood Pressure’ class.Conclusion Less physical activity was required to improve AL than was previously found. Low to moderate alcohol use was beneficial for lower AL. Implications of the amount of physical activity necessary to lower AL is discussed.