Mapping one million COVID-19 deaths and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in the United States: recognizing the syndemic pattern and taking action [review] Review uri icon
Overview
abstract
  • Tragically, the United States (US) surpassed one million documented deaths due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. A convincing association between unhealthy lifestyle behaviors and poorer outcomes associated with COVID-19 infection has already been demonstrated and communicated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in public health messaging. The US is experiencing not a pandemic, but a syndemic, specifically an unhealthy lifestyle behaviors-chronic diseases-COVID-19 syndemic. This syndemic has almost certainly significantly contributed to the more than one million deaths the United States has experienced during the pandemic. Decades of a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors laid the foundation for our current unfortunate situation by increasing vulnerability to a novel virus, especially among subgroups who have been historically marginalized. As such, a major pathway to defeating this syndemic is through the promotion of healthy living behaviors for all. Now is the time for action appropriate to meet the demands of a syndemic and a new path forward to a healthier and more equitable future.

  • Link to Article
    publication date
  • 2022
  • published in
    Research
    keywords
  • COVID-19
  • Chronic Disease
  • Coronavirus Infections
  • Health Promotion
  • Life Style
  • Additional Document Info
    volume
  • 135
  • issue
  • 11