Behavioral Aspects of Healthy Longevity

Addressing the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases to achieve healthy longevity for anaging population has become central to global health policy goals. New policy tools are needed for effectively andefficiently tackling health and lifestyle behaviors and habits linked to the development of noncommunicable diseaserisk factors. Behavioral science offers insights into psychological barriers, mental models, biases, and otherfactors that influence decision making and habit formation. Applying these insights can support current policy effortstoward healthy longevity. This paper develops a framework to clarify the relationships between noncommunicable diseaseformation, detection, and management and behavioral determinants at the individual, community, and health systemlevels. Following the framework, the paper documents frequently identified behavioral barriers at the three keystages of patients’ noncommunicable disease trajectories. It identifies policy lessons from the behavioral scienceliterature to address such barriers and, together with other policies, reduce the incidence of noncommunicable diseasesand improve treatment effectiveness.