Behavioural prevention refers to measures and programmes that aim to promote healthy behaviour and reduce risk behaviour in order to prevent the development of diseases and health problems. The focus here is on changing individual behaviour and lifestyle factors that have an impact on health.
These prevention approaches concentrate on providing knowledge, skills and resources to facilitate and strengthen health-promoting behaviour. They can cover different areas such as nutrition, physical activity, stress management, smoking cessation, alcohol and drug prevention and mental health. It is important to empower people to make healthy decisions on their own responsibility and to integrate these into their everyday lives in the long term.
A key component of behavioural prevention is the creation of a supportive environment that encourages healthy choices and facilitates access to preventive measures. This can be achieved through workplace health promotion programmes, awareness campaigns or the provision of health-promoting facilities and services. For example, employers can offer programmes to promote physical activity in the workplace or provide healthy canteen meals. Municipalities can also promote the physical activity of their residents by building cycle paths and parks.
By combining individual and structural approaches, behavioural prevention can contribute to improving the health of the population and reducing the burden of chronic diseases in the long term. A holistic approach that takes into account both individual behaviour and the environment is particularly effective. Early intervention also plays an important role, as preventive measures are often most successful when they start in childhood and adolescence, thus promoting and consolidating healthy behavioural patterns at an early age. In the long term, behavioural prevention can not only improve people’s quality of life, but also significantly reduce healthcare costs.
