Future Health : a policy and an individual perspective

A long life in good health is considered one of the most important goals in human life. New healthcare interventions play an important role in attaining this goal. They allow diseases previously associated with high morbidity and mortality to be prevented or cured, adding to the length and quality of life of individuals. Nonetheless, new challenges emerge, such as the rise of non-communicable (and often more chronic) diseases, including those related to lifestyle. This raises important questions on how to counter such diseases and further improve (future) population health. Delaying or preventing the onset of diseases requires, among other things, a focus on future health.
Therefore, the main objective of this thesis was to increase knowledge on the decision-making process regarding future health, taking two perspectives: a policy perspective and an individual perspective. The first part of this thesis studied decisions regarding the investment in future health from a policy perspective (Part I, chapters 2-5). The second part of this thesis explored individuals’ considerations of the future consequences of their health behaviour and their expectations about their future health (Part II, chapters 6-9).