Thinking health-related behaviors in a climate change context

Human activities have changed the environment so profoundly over the past two centuries that human-induced climate change is now posing serious health-related threats to current and future generations. This article aims to identify bi-directional associations between climate change impacts and health-related behaviors. We synthesized the existing literature about (i) the impacts of rising temperatures, extreme weather events, air pollution, and rising sea level on individual behaviors (e.g., eating behaviors, physical activity, sleep, substance use and preventive care) as well as the structural factors related to these behaviors (e.g., the food system); and (ii) the concurrent positive and negative roles that health-related behaviors can play in mitigation and adaptation to climate change.

Further reading:

The preprint: https://osf.io/pb8vc/

Digital health: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(20)30130-8

Health psychology: https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2019.1617150

Physical activity: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01439-4