Health behavior and sustainable development

Health Behavior and Sustainable Development is one of three research directions within Public Health Sciences at the University of Gävle. The research is about how people's health behavior is shaped, changed and influenced by the surrounding environment and social and political norms.

It highlights how societal structures shape our perceptions of health, responsibility, and change, and how these, in turn, affect the possibilities for sustainable lifestyles and sustainable development. A central point of departure for the research is the health promotion perspective, strengthening people’s resources and well-being to create opportunities for sustainable health behaviors throughout the life course.

Specific target groups in the research include children and young people, students in higher education, parents, healthcare professionals, and individuals at increased risk of illness. Among these groups, researchers study factors that create conditions for well-being, engagement, and meaningfulness, and how everyday activity patterns, social relationships, and environments contribute to physical, mental, and social health behaviors. From both a promotive and preventive perspective, research explores how health and lifestyle are influenced to strengthen the population’s long-term health and, thereby, sustainable development.

Together, the research within Health behavior and sustainable development provides a comprehensive picture of how people’s health behaviors both affect and are affected by the social, ecological and economical context they are part of. By combining health promotion and prevention, the research develops knowledge, tools, and actions that strengthen the conditions for good and equitable health, in line with the UN’s global goals for health, well-being, and sustainable development (Goals 3, 4, and 10).