The lifestyle concept is a central subject of research in the fields of medicine, sociology and health psychology. Its significance has grown as an important area of study due to the fact that it allows a better understanding of the main factors that influence individual health.
It has been suggested that a better understanding of the concept can help in designing more effective interventions and, thus, improve the quality of life of individuals. Nevertheless, there is still much confusion about the meaning of this term. For example, some authors use this term in a broad sense as an overall pattern of living, while others restrict its meaning to specific components of behaviour (e.g., eating habits and physical activity). Furthermore, it is not clear whether the lifestyle concept has a temporal dimension and how this influence develops over time.
Despite the lack of an agreed definition of this concept, it is important to consider the various perspectives in order to develop a more cohesive theoretical and research model for the future. This article explores the main definitions and results of studies, and theories of lifestyle from the psychological and sociological disciplines, reconsidering them along three perspectives: internal, external and temporal.
Internal perspective
From a psychological point of view, there is a tendency to consider lifestyle as a set of behavioural patterns that influence the risk status of an individual and can be modified through targeted educational campaigns. However, this approach is limited by the fact that it overlooks the importance of the social context in which such behaviours are performed and the role that these play in determining the outcome.
Another line of psychological research identifies the concept of lifestyle in terms of values, attitudes and interests. For example, Rokeach considered that each person had a set of values that were hierarchically ordered and that these formed the basic foundation of their lifestyle. This interpretation of the concept has not been as widely used in the field of health psychology as the one presented above.
External perspective
The most popular theory in the field of health and society is that of the determinants of lifestyle, with emphasis placed on a set of antecedent factors that determine an individual’s lifestyle. This concept is particularly relevant to the development of public health strategies.
The most common unhealthy lifestyles are those related to smoking, alcohol consumption and poor nutrition, and these have been recognised as being a major cause of disease and death in the world. Other lifestyles which may lead to health problems include consanguinity in certain ethnic groups and the overuse of medications. It is therefore vital to identify and analyse the different determinants of these lifestyles in order to develop better prevention strategies. In addition, it is necessary to evaluate the impact of these lifestyles on the mental and physical health of people. This will allow a more effective diagnosis and treatment of the different diseases.