Risk factors
Alcohol use | Drug use | Obesity | Smoking
About 3 mins
Why risk factors matter for health
Smoking, an unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and harmful alcohol and drug use are major factors in preventable illness. These behaviours are strongly influenced by the building blocks of good health – or wider social determinants of health. This includes where we live, work and grow up; the money and resources we have to buy healthy food; the shops in our local communities; and whether there are green spaces and safe streets where we can be physically active.
Stress and poor mental health – often linked to poverty and insecure work – can also make it difficult to adopt or sustain healthy behaviours.
Health-related behaviours are also influenced by commercial and regulatory factors which determine the availability, pricing and marketing of products. For example, less healthy foods are often cheaper, more convenient and more heavily promoted than healthier options.
The risk factors driving ill health often overlap, sharing many common causes and effects.
How does alcohol use affect physical and mental health?
Harmful alcohol use is a major health risk factor that can negatively affect our physical, mental and social wellbeing.
Long-term alcohol misuse can harm nearly every organ in the body – including the brain, heart, liver and pancreas – and disrupt the functioning of the nervous system. Heavy drinking can also increase blood pressure and blood cholesterol levels, which are both major risk factors for heart attacks and strokes. There is a close relationship between alcohol use and poor mental health, including increased risk of depression and anxiety disorders.
In 2023/24, there were 340,000 hospital admissions for alcohol-specific conditions, with alcohol misuse estimated to cost £3.5bn per year to the NHS and health care services.
Harmful alcohol use can have significant social consequences. It increases the risk of accidents, violence, child neglect and antisocial behaviour. It can also damage personal relationships and affect our ability to engage in education or maintain employment.
How does drug use contribute to long-term health risks and premature death?
Drug use is a major contributor to premature death and poor health.
Long-term drug use increases the risk of developing a range of serious and chronic health conditions, including infectious diseases such as hepatitis and HIV, lung disease, cardiovascular disease, malnutrition, cancer and stroke. Drug use can also cause or worsen mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, psychosis and suicidal thoughts. Stigma towards drug users can act as a barrier to accessing health care services, and this can exacerbate existing health conditions.
The impacts of drug use often extend beyond health, making accidents, violence, child neglect and antisocial behaviour more likely. It can also damage relationships and affect our prospects in education and employment.
How does obesity increase the risk of chronic illness?
Obesity and being overweight are major health risk factors for a wide range of long-term conditions.
Obesity increases the risk of developing conditions such as type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, liver disease, some types of cancer and stroke. Being overweight or obese can also affect day-to-day living, through breathing difficulties, tiredness and joint pain, as well as contributing to mental health problems such as depression.
While poor diet and a lack of physical activity are the main causes of obesity, obesity and being overweight are influenced by a range of additional factors, including our money and resources, and the cost and availability of healthy food.
What harm does smoking do to our health?
Historically smoking has been one of the leading causes of preventable ill health and death in the UK. Although the number is declining, millions of people in the UK continue to smoke.
Smoking causes harm to nearly every organ in the body. It increases the risk of developing a wide range of health conditions, including lung cancer, respiratory disease, cardiovascular disease, dementia and stroke. It has also been linked to poor mental health and wellbeing.
Exposure to second-hand smoke, or passive smoking, can also cause harm. It is particularly dangerous for children, increasing their risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), asthma and respiratory infections.
