Behavior Change in Health Promotion and Prevention of Chronic Diseases

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last century, the life expectancy throughout the world has almost doubled. The reasons for this are diverse, but can mainly be traced back to advances in medical technology. Several deadly diseases have been completely eradicated, and several others have transformed from deadly to chronic. This phenomenon is known as the “epidemiological transition” of the 20th century. A longer life expectancy, however, is not the only distinctive phenomenon of the current healthcare landscape; the decrease in mortality, combined with other demographic changes, such as a decrease in natality rates, has created an aging population. In turn, this longer life expectancy and thus aging population mean a higher prevalence of chronic conditions.

Several policy actions are currently being implemented to reduce the health and economic burden of chronic disease, such as epidemiology and surveillance (e.g., collecting data to understand who is most at risk), environmental approaches (e.g., introducing regulations and bans), and system-level interventions (e.g., improving access to health care for populations with little or no access). At an individual level, two main strategies can be put into place—health promotion and (self-) care. Health promotion programs have been shown to hold great potential for limiting the incidence of chronic conditions, especially those related to lifestyle factors. In many cases however, prevention is not possible, and health promotion does not in any way address those already living with one or more chronic conditions. This is where the importance of (self-) care comes into play.

Individual health behaviors play a central role in both health promotion and (self-) care, and it is therefore crucial to find ways to design effective behavior change interventions. For this Special Issue, we invite qualitative, quantitative, and review papers addressing behavior change in health promotion, as well as (self-) care behaviors, in the context of chronic conditions. Studies addressing determinants of behavior change in a socio-ecological perspective (at an individual, interpersonal, and societal level) and combining a high academic standard, coupled with concrete implications for the improvement of public health and clinical practice, will be prioritzed.

Prof. Dr. Sara Rubinelli
Dr. Nicola Diviani
Dr. Claudia Zanini
Guest Editors

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