What are the Psychological, Socioeconomic, and Genetic Factors associated with Healthy Behavior?

In developed countries, unhealthy behaviors, especially those related to cardiovascular disease (CVD), are among the leading causes of preventable morbidity and mortality. Behavioral intention, or the motivational decision to act, is often considered a key determinant of health behavior and health behavior change. However, research consistently shows a large discordance between people’s intentions and their behaviors. Indeed, bridging the so called “intention-behavior gap” is considered of the main challenges in current public health. The key objective of this research proposal is to identify public health interventions and environments that will promote the adoption and sustainment of healthier habits by using a multidisciplinary approach combining knowledge from public health, psychology, economics, and genetics.