Abstract:
In 2007, Professor Yang Zhiyin creatively proposed the concept of " Behaviors Determine Health". Subsequently, through years of research and practice in collaboration with Chief Physician Yang Zhen of Fudan University, they developed several core tenets progressively, forming a fundamentally complete theoretical framework. This system represents not only a paradigm shift in behavioral medicine but also an enlightenment of values regarding health concepts. This paper transcends conventional medical interpretations by examining the theoretical framework through a multidimensional lens at the intersection of the science, the humanities, and the philosophy. Research indicates that the scientific core of " Behaviors Determine Health" lies in elevating behavior from a related factor to a determining factor in health. Its humanistic essence manifests in awakening the individual′s autonomous agency, while its philosophical significance resides in reconstructing the causal chain of " knowledge-action-outcome". This paper distills four essential characteristics of the theory: the philosophical clarity in casual attribution, the cultural continuity of unifying knowledge and action, the methodological revolution of shifting intervention points forward and the value restoration centered on self-discipline. These characteristics reveal its unique value as a guiding principle for health in the 21st-century. It is also a gift from Chinese doctors to people worldwide.
Key words:
Behaviors Determine Health,
Behavioral medicine,
Humanistic value,
Unity of knowledge and action
Zhen Yang, Zhiyin Yang. Academic decoding and theoretical expansion of " Behaviors Determine Health" theory framework[J]. Chinese Journal of Diagnostics(Electronic Edition), 2026, 14(02): 83-90.