ABSTRACT
The twenty-first century has begun with major health challenges both in the United States and worldwide. While for decades the advancement of medical technologies and therapies has led to extension of life and enhanced quality of life, a significant number of chronic health problems continue to ail societies because of their root behavioral causes. For example, in the United States, the five leading causes of death are heart disease, cancer, stroke (cerebrovascular disease), diabetes, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Jemal, Ward, Hao, & Thun, 2005). Although genetic factors contribute to many of these diseases, several analyses indicate that human behavior also contributes significantly (Danaei et al., 2009; McGinnis & Foege, 1993; Mokdad, Marks, Stroup, & Gerberding, 2004). In fact, one analysis suggests that half of all annual deaths in the United States are due to preventable causes, with the largest contributing factors being smoking, poor diet, and physical inactivity (Mokdad et al., 2004). Other exacerbating factors include alcohol consumption, exposure to microbial and toxic agents, motor vehicle crashes, incidents involving firearms, unsafe sexual behaviors, and illicit use of drugs (McGinnis & Foege, 1993; Mokdad et al., 2004). A World Health Organization (WHO) report also identifies many of these same behavioral factors as significant contributors to disease worldwide (World Health Organization, 2008).
