Psychological Approaches to Lifestyle
A person's lifestyle is a set of behavioural patterns that influence health. It includes personal attitudes, values, expectations and inclinations in life (such as religion, political opinions, intimacy, sexuality, etc). It also consists of the person's activities (work, leisure, hobbies, consumption habits, diet and physical activity) and how these are carried out. Lifestyle also refers to a particular way of living, and this is often influenced by location: the countryside offers a different set of lifestyle options than a city, for example. It can also be influenced by geographical factors such as the availability of natural and cultural environments and the degree to which people are exposed to risk behaviours.Psychological approaches to lifestyle have been characterised by two trends. Those that emphasise the internal dimension can be categorised as styles of personality, personal styles and values models. These are generally based on the idea that lifestyle is the result of the internalisation of the social structure, with particular attention being paid to a person's position within a group. This is the main focus of models such as Thorstein Veblen's, who argued that a person adopted specific schemes of conspicuous consumption in order to differentiate themselves from those he or she identified as inferior and to demonstrate an interest in emulation of the lifestyle of those considered superior [6].The second current of psychological research defines lifestyle according to a set of values and attitudes that determine day-to-day decisions. This approach is usually based on the work of Rokeach, who analysed different hierarchically ordered values and linked them to a specific lifestyle. The concept was developed further by Yankelovich, who defined lifestyle according to the individual's inclinations and interests in a given situation. This perspective, sometimes called the 'profiles and trends' approach, is also characterised by an analysis of lifestyle from both synchronic and diachronic points of view and takes into account socio-cultural and psychological trends in a given context.A third trend identifies lifestyle as the result of an interaction between internal and external variables. This is a key concept in critical health psychology and the related field of ecopsychology. It focuses on the concept of 'healthy lifestyle' as an alternative to 'unhealthy lifestyle' and considers a series of determinants: tangible factors, such as the presence or absence of a number of health risks; intangible ones, such as attitudes and values; and contextual factors, such as environmental influences and personal resources.This article reviews the various definitions and results of studies on lifestyle and proposes a new vision of this concept in the area of healthcare. A new concept is proposed, highlighting the importance of considering an internal and a temporal dimension. This allows a better understanding of the main components of lifestyle. The new approach is an important step in advancing the concept of healthy lifestyle in medicine. It will help to develop strategies for promoting lifestyle as a tool for the pursuit of health, rather than simply focusing on the eradication of unhealthy behaviours.