The Role of Healthy Lifestyle Promotion, Counseling, and Follow-up in Noncommunicable Diseases Prevention

Several countries worldwide recently have experienced considerable transition in demography and disease epidemiology, characterized by falling rates of preventable communicable diseases and increased life expectancy. However, various factors, including the economy, education, food security, and access to proper healthcare and immunization programs, have led to unhealthy behaviors, inappropriate diets, and lack of physical activity, which have favored the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCD).1 The term NCDs, often also referred to as “chronic diseases,” describes medical conditions or diseases that are noninfectious, of long duration, and generally characterized by slow progression. The global impact of NCDs on various populations has significantly increased during the last 2 decades to reach considerably greater incidence rates. The World Health Organization (WHO) statistics report that NCDs were responsible for 40.5 million, or 71%, of global deaths in 2016. Although NCDs have their major impact on global mortality and morbidity in adulthood, statistics also show a significant impact of NCDs on children and adolescents. The working group on social pediatrics and public health of the European Paediatric Association, the Union of National European Paediatric Societies and Associations is actively engaged in contrasting the expansion of NCDs through the promotion of preventive programs in collaboration with its members. The purpose of this commentary is to further raise the attention of healthcare professionals worldwide, and pediatricians in particular, about the importance of healthy lifestyle promotion, counseling, and follow-up in the prevention of NCDs during developmental years. Primary prevention offers the potential to reduce the continuous expansion of the social and economic burden related to NCDs, particularly within communities characterized by the presence of social and economic disparities.