Fetal, childhood, and adolescence interventions leading to adult disease prevention.
Lifestyle choices result in the development and increased severity of many adult diseases that can cause death (eg, heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity). Most health-damaging behaviors are learned during childhood and adolescence, making that time period a critical window of opportunity to teach health-promoting behaviors. Primary care physicians can implement their overall commitment to providing comprehensive health care to patients and their families by following the anticipatory guidelines of their discipline (eg, pediatrics, family and internal medicine) and by educating patients and their families about the recommendations included on the Web sites of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Women's Health and Office of Strategy and Innovation.
Pratt
Helen D
HD
Behavioral and Developmental Pediatrics Division, Michigan State University/Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, Kalamazoo, MI 49048, USA. pratt@kcms.msu.edu
Tsitsika
Artemis K
AK
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001524:Behavioral Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002648:Child; D005194:Family Practice / Q000592:standards*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000592:standards*; D011315:Preventive Medicine / Q000592:standards*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology