Can interventions in the clinical setting influence people to change their behavior (Figure 2)?
Clinical interventions are predicated on a foundation of epidemiological research that adequately substantiates the link between particular behaviors and health outcomes,2 as depicted in Figure 1 (Analytic Framework 1, KQs 1, 2, 5). For instance, there is strong consistent evidence that tobacco use, sedentary lifestyle, and improper diet lead to negative clinical and functional health outcomes,1 and, conversely, that smoking cessation, exercise improvement, and dietary improvement lead to positive clinical and functional health outcomes. However, few behavior change intervention studies actually document long-term health outcomes (KQ 8). Therefore, we usually must rely on linking separate bodies of evidence (represented here by the two interrelated but separate analytic frameworks) to demonstrate whether clinical interventions improve health behaviors and lead to better health outcomes. The USPSTF may elect to summarize, but not systemically review, the evidence supporting the link bet
