Unveiling relationships of human instinctive behaviors and blood pressure in Chinese adults: A network analysis

Objectives

Human behaviors and blood pressure (BP) are closely intertwined, affecting health. However, few studies have demonstrated their complex relationships. Using network analysis, we aimed to untangle the intricate and potential causal relationships between BP and human instinctive behaviors, identifying potential action points for hypertension prevention and control.

Study design

Cohort study.

Methods

This study is based on two-wave data from 11,277 Chinese adults in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort (CMEC) and an independent validation cohort of 21,947 adults from the Chinese Cohort of Working Adults (CCWA). We conducted a cross-sectional network analysis to estimate the interrelationships between measured BP and self-reported physical activity (PA), diet, and sleep. The centrality of each variable within the network was estimated using strength centrality index. Additionally, we performed a longitudinal network analysis to infer the potential causal relationships between BP and human instinctive behaviors in participants with normal or above-normal BP.

Results

The network models suggested that BP exhibited negative associations with the dietary score (edge weight: −0.09) and sleep duration (−0.05). Non-sedentary behavior and dietary score were the most central variables, strongly connecting BP and other lifestyles. Higher BP predicted a poorer dietary score (β = −0.21) in participants with above-normal BP. The effect of BP on dietary score was replicated in the validation cohort and validated by linear regression analysis.

Conclusions

Non-sedentary behaviors and dietary behaviors may be the potential action points in promoting healthy behaviors and contributing to BP management. It is essential to manage individuals’ BP status, non-sedentary behaviors, and dietary behaviors to disrupt malignant cycles.