ABSTRACT
Since lifestyles are the most likely primary social determinant of thedownturn in longevity in the former socialist countries, it is necessary to discover why this is the case. The initial step in this process is to present a theoretical perspective to guide subsequent discussion. As defined in the last chapter, health lifestyles are collective patterns of health-related behavior based on choices from options available to people according to their life chances. Consequently, the behaviors that people select which affect their health, either positively or negatively, are not simply random acts of individuals but constitute a recognizable pattern of activities specific to certain groups, social strata, and societies.
