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The Scourge of Modern Lifestyles

(with Glenn Stewart)

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ROI in Public Health Policy

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Abstract

Modern lifestyles/behaviours are complex to understand; more complex is how to modify them to improve population health status. This chapter provides an overview of these issues. Most public health interventions aimed at modifying lifestyles/behaviours are or have potential to be effective and cost-effective. However, the greatest challenge for contemporary public health policymakers is the “type” of evidence on which to base their decisions. It is unlikely for a single intervention to deliver a significant positive effect in modifying lifestyle behaviours in order to realise the health and wider benefits; rather, most effects come from a multifaceted approach in which several interventions are delivered concurrently as a “package”. The evidence showing the value for money of such a multifaceted approach is sparse.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Health Economics Research Group (HERG), Division of Health Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK

    Subhash Pokhrel

  2. Centre for Guidelines, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, London, UK

    Lesley Owen

  3. Health Economics Research Group (HERG), Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK

    Kathryn Coyle

  4. School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada

    Doug Coyle

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  1. Subhash Pokhrel
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Pokhrel, S., Owen, L., Coyle, K., Coyle, D. (2017). The Scourge of Modern Lifestyles. In: ROI in Public Health Policy. Palgrave Pivot, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68897-8_2

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