From End Treatment to Source Prevention: Socio-Ecological Approaches to Promote Research on the Environment and Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases with Special Reference to China.

Xi-Zhang Shan,Yong Li,Kun Lai

doi:10.3390/ijerph16111900

Abstract

Globally, the pandemic of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs) has become a critical public health problem. Although NCD prevention has been shifting from individual behavioral interventions to broad environmental interventions, it is still necessary to promote research on the environment and NCDs as a whole. Therefore, this conceptual paper aimed to develop a general and novel framework to advance this line of research. The framework uses socio-ecological approaches that emphasize source prevention rather than the end treatment. Specifically, this framework comprehensively covered integrative research approaches, prioritized areas, urgent efforts, innovative methodologies, and improved funding. The framework used China as a typical context, where its public health policies, similar to other nations, still focus on the end treatment of NCDs, placing emphasis on biomedical approaches and technologies. China’s relevant efforts may furnish new insights and approaches concerning NCD prevention, and these efforts may benefit the improvement of global health and well-being. Such social-ecological research efforts can help to accelerate a shift from existing individual interventions to environmental interventions, thereby ultimately achieving the effective source prevention of NCDs in China and around the globe.

Highlights

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs), especially cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, have aroused increased global concern
This study aims to provide a general framework based on socio-ecological approaches to promote research on the source environment and non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs), with special reference to
An EU project in Madrid explored the four urban environmental domains of tobacco, physical activity, alcohol, and food environments, all of which are considered to be directly associated with individual NCD risk factors [35]

Summary

Introduction

Non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs), especially cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, and diabetes, have aroused increased global concern. An EU project in Madrid explored the four urban environmental domains of tobacco, physical activity, alcohol, and food environments, all of which are considered to be directly associated with individual NCD risk factors [35] This approach transcends individual lifestyle and emphasizes environmental influences, which typically operate at multiple levels and time scales with complex interactions [14,16,33,36]. It provides an integrative conceptual framework for NCD research and prevention This approach has been verified using empirical evidence, where examples include the effectiveness of promoting the cycling of integrative interventions based on socio-ecological models [37]. This impediment may render Chinese NCD prevention strategies administrative rather than scientific [41], wherein actions are progressing faster than the science

Promoting China’s Research on the Environment and NCDs

Findings

Conclusions