Risky health behaviour can be described as action or deliberate inaction by an individual that affect his or her own health or the health of others. The prevalence of risky health behaviours remains high in Lusaka, Zambia and globally. These behaviours are most likely to cause unwanted health related states. The selected risky health behaviours in this study include: Risky sexual behaviour that lead to unintended pregnancies or STIs, harmful alcohol and other drugs usage, behaviours that lead to violence and unintended injuries, unhealthy dietary behaviours and physical inactivity. In this study, the prevalence of risky heath behaviours and their determinants will be determined.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Lusaka province, Zambia to collect data from a sample of 422 Lusaka residents using a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Cross tabs using a Chi-square and expressed with p-value for statistical significances was done to determine the association.
Results: The prevalence of risky dietary behaviours, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and other drugs, risky sexual behaviour, and behaviour leading to unintentional injuries and violence were 100%, 56.5%, 40.2%, 78.7%, and 77.1%, respectively. Gender was found to be the only significant determinant of harmful use of alcohol and other drugs and behaviour leading to unintentional injuries and violence. No significant associations were found between the other risky behaviours and age, income, or education level.
Conclusion: The study highlights the high prevalence of risky health behaviours in Lusaka province, Zambia, and the need for targeted interventions and policies to reduce the risk of these behaviours. The findings also suggest that gender based cultural norms and expectations may play a role in shaping harmful use of alcohol and other drugs and behaviour leading to unintentional injuries and violence.
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