Social capital and health-related behaviors

Abstract

Behaviors such as tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity (or a sedentary lifestyle) and diet are major determinants of health because of their causal effects on cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and many other chronic diseases (The World Health Report, 2002). Some other health-related behaviors such as the abuse of narcotic drugs (which lead to premature death for a variety of reasons) and sexual behaviors (which lead to sexually transmitted diseases/infections) are mainly causally linked to health for other reasons. © 2008 Springer New York.