74% of all fatalities globally are caused by noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), which include chronic

lung disease, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Eighty-six percent of the 17 million individuals who
passed away early, or before the age of 70, and more than three-quarters of all NCD fatalities take place
in low- and middle-income nations World Health Organization (2022).

Cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, alcohol abuse, and a poor diet are the four primary causes of
NCDs. The NCD pandemic threatens to overburden healthcare systems and has terrible health effects on
people, families, and communities. The prevention and control of these diseases are a critical
development need for the 21st century due to the socioeconomic implications associated with NCDs
World Health Organization (2022).

The habits of smoking, drinking, eating, engaging in physical exercise, engaging in sexual behavior, and
screening for illnesses are all examined in this section. Epidemiologic data on these activities'
associations with different health outcomes were accessible in the early 1980s, but a lot of
understanding has been improved since then. The impact of many of these activities on general public
health has been measured, dose/response connections have been explained, more advanced study
designs have reinforced causal conclusions, and scientific guidelines have been developed. The key
recent epidemiologic data on the negative consequences of these habits on health are summarized in
this chapter National Academy of Sciences (2001).

Technology and conceptual developments in the behavioral, biological, and medical sciences have
facilitated research into the bidirectional and complex links between behavior and health. Advances in
behavioral neurobiology, neuroscience, and neuroendocrinology, from molecular processes to
psychological systems, have improved our knowledge of the links between brain function and behavior.
Our knowledge of the connections between human behavior and fundamental neurochemical processes
or particular neuroanatomic routes has improved thanks to real-time imaging of the living human brain
during various behavioral states. It has become possible to investigate how genetics interacts with
development and early experiences to influence both vulnerability to disease and resistance to age-
related decline. This has been made possible by the widespread availability of monoclonal antibodies,
the routine creation of genetically altered animals, and new understanding of the genetic code National
Academy of Sciences (2001).

Reference

National Academy of Sciences. (2001). Health and Behavior: The Interplay of Biological,
Behavioral, and Societal Influences. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK43744/

World Health Organization. (2022). Noncommunicable diseases. Retrieved from

https://www.who.int/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases#tab=tab_1