• Eric M Hecht, Marnie R Layton, Gary A Abrams, Anna M Rabil, and David C Landy.
• Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida; Institute of Etiological Research, Boca Raton, Florida. Electronic address: info@etioinstitute.org.
• Am J Prev Med. 2020 Aug 1; 59 (2): 270-273.

IntroductionLeading public health institutions recommend participation in several evidence-based behaviors, including exercise, a healthy diet, and maintenance of a normal BMI while simultaneously avoiding cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol consumption. The investigators attempted to evaluate the collective adherence to these recommendations and population trends in these behaviors by evaluating nationally representative surveys over a period of 12 years.MethodsIn 2019, the data from 26,194 National Health and Examination Survey participants who provided answers to survey questions regarding diet, physical activity, and usage of cigarettes and alcohol were analyzed. BMI was obtained from the examination data. Adherence to each behavior and the constellation of all 5 behaviors was assessed and tracked over a 12-year timeframe.ResultsThe smoking rates (p=0.01) and adherence to a healthy BMI declined over time (p=0.03). The total percentage of subjects who participated in all 5 behaviors ranged from 4.4% to 6.3%, whereas subjects who performed 2 or fewer behaviors ranged from 45.4% to 48.3%. Greater education (p<0.0001), higher SES (p<0.0001), and being a female participant (p<0.0001) predicted higher behavior scores.ConclusionsOnly 1 in 5 Americans engage in 4 or more healthy behaviors, whereas almost half of them participate in fewer than 3 healthy behaviors. Increased participation in numerous healthy behaviors can decrease premature mortality, decrease the burden of chronic diseases, improve life quality, and provide substantial economic benefits. A public health practice of targeting a constellation of behaviors as opposed to individual behaviors is needed.Copyright © 2020 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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