Traditionally, the prevention of cancer (and other chronic diseases) has been considered primarily linked to personal responsibility, for which interventions must be based on health education information enabling individuals to make knowledge-based decisions to improve their lifestyle. However, lifestyle is conditioned by environmental factors (including dimensions such as the context of economics, transport, urbanism, agriculture or education) that may render healthy behavioural choices either easier or, alternatively, impossible. This article reviews the conceptual underpinnings of the behavioural-structural dichotomy. We believe that it is advisable to opt for multilevel strategies that take into account all the determinants of health, using structural and behavioural approaches, rather than only the latter, as has been done until now.
Keywords: Agenda 2030; behavioural interventions; cancer prevention; health in all policies; health promotion; noncommunicable disease prevention; structural interventions; sustainable development goals.
© 2020 The Authors. Published by FEBS Press and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.