Bundling of Health Behaviors

Gathering information as a public health professional on how to promote health protective behaviors is most efficacious when studying the relationships between multiple different risk factors and behaviors. Most health risk behaviors occur simultaneously, and many individuals engage in multiple at once. In a survey conducted by the NHIS, “…adults showed that 52% had two or more risk behaviors from a list that included: physical inactivity, overweight, cigarette smoking and risky drinking… and 17% had three or more” (Spring, 2012). Typical co-occurring risk factors include, lack of physical activity and an unhealthy diet, risky substance abuse and risky sexual activity, and lastly drug use/drinking and risky driving. Health risks and health protective behaviors are inversely correlated with one another. Individuals with risk factors are more likely to develop additional risk factors and consequently less health protective behaviors.