From Theory to Practice: Translating Research into Health Outcomes:
A research article by Kay-Tee Khaw and colleagues in this issue of PLoS Medicine [1] quantifies the benefits of adopting not just one but four healthy forms of behavior. Compared with people who do not engage in any of these behaviors, people in this United Kingdom study who drank in moderation, did not smoke, took exercise, and ate an adequate amount of fruit and vegetables were calculated to live an additional 14 years. Clearly, these striking findings are of relevance, not only for health researchers and public policy makers but for the entire population. If everyone in the UK adopted these four behaviors, the public health impact would be substantial. What does it take for such research findings to be turned into actual public health outcomes?
Medicine & Health
