Engl 1102:

Learning Journal Unit Three

1. What is the title of the text and what is the text about?

The title of the text is ‘Health Behavior in Major Chronic Disease Patients’ and this paper

evaluates the health behavior of patients diagnosed with major chronic diseases such

hypertension, diabetes, depression, chronic respiratory diseases, cancers, and others with

those of the general population.

2. What is the author’s view? How do I know?

The authors view is that improved health behaviors of patients diagnosed with chronic

diseases such as diabetes is important in lowering complications from such illnesses,

lowering morbidity, and improving overall quality of life and life expectancy of such

patients. Although the authors acknowledge the importance of improving health

behaviors such as smoking cessation or reduction, lowering alcohol intake, having

healthy diets, and increasing physical activity levels, they realize that such behavioral

change is never easy to realize for many patients.

Health behavior has been the major emphasis of this paper with its significance being

highlighted in the background of the article and as key discussion point. In the

introduction, the author outlines the modifiable behavioral risk factors such as “ reducing

tobacco use, harmful tobacco use, an unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity” [ CITATION

Jeo20 \l 1033 ]. Almost the entire section of the discussion focused on the significance

of improved health behavior for patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes,

hypertension, stroke, etc. In the second paragraph of the discussion, the authors noted,

“improved health behaviors can prevent NCDs and reduce their recurrence risk and
severity, improve health-related quality of life, and extend life expectancy” [ CITATION

Jeo20 \l 1033 ].

3. What is the evidence presented by the author to support ideas?

The author pointed the World Health Organization’s 16 cost effective models that

according World Health Organization has the potential to reduce 9.6 premature deaths

occurring annually worldwide from chronic diseases. Such interventions include:

reducing tobacco use, harmful alcohol use, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity
[ CITATION Jeo20 \l 1033 ]

4. Is the evidence valid? How do I know?

The evidence cited by the authors is valid evidence as I located it and was able to

download and read the paper. The high-risk behaviors stated in the article are found on

page 13 of the World Health Organization’s Noncommunicable Diseases Country Profile

2018 [ CITATION WHO182 \l 1033 ].

5. Is the evidence relevant? How do I know?

The evidence is relevant to the study as it points out they key focus of the study. The

behavioral risk factors interventions cited by the author’s are relevant they have been

proven to be effective and many studies have been carried out to prove their effectiveness

in reducing or lowering prevalence of noncommunicable diseases.

6. Have I heard/read anything similar or dissimilar? What was it?

Yes, I have read that health behaviors listed by the authors above are key to improving

life quality and increasing longevity. One of the similar papers I have read is review by

Ezzati and Riboli (2013) on the “Behavioral and Dietary Risk Factors for Communicable

Diseases” [ CITATION Ezz13 \l 1033 ]. This paper examined the selected behavioral and

dietary risk factors for chronic diseases. Risk factors such as smoking, alcohol
consumption, excess eight, and dietary factors were evaluated for their roles in

noncommunicable diseases [ CITATION Ezz13 \l 1033 ].

7. Do I agree or disagree with the views expressed by the author? Why? 

Definitely I agree with the views expressed by the authors of this article. It is now clearly

evident that the behaviors examined by the authors are responsible for a large majority of

mortality and morbidity across nations.

Reference:

Ezzati, M., & Riboli, E. (2013, Septemebr 5). The New England Journal of Medicine.

Retrieved October 13, 2020, from Massachusetts Medical Society:

http://www3.med.unipmn.it/intranet/papers/2013/NEJM/2013-09-

04_nejm/nejmra1203528.pdf

Jeon, Y.-K., Pyo, J., Park, Y.-K., & Ock, M. (2020). BMC Public Health. Retrieved July

5, 2021, from Biomed Central :

https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-020- 09940-

7#Tab1

WHO. (2018). World Health Organization. Retrieved July 2021, from World Health

Organization Non Communicable Diseases Country Profile:

htts://who.int/publications/i/item/ncd-country-profiles-2018