Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model

PRIME For Life^® is based on the Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model developed by Prevention Research Institute. For many people, models may seem academic, abstract, or far removed from the real world. Models, however, articulate the causes of problems and strategies to keep the problems from occurring and shape our strategies for prevention.

The Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model is based on a formula to help reduce risk for all lifestyle-related health problems including the most common type of heart disease, and certain forms of cancer . Alcoholism is also a lifestyle-related health problem, and to understand how alcoholism develops, it is helpful to review how other health problems develop. Biological factors and quantity/frequency choices combine to make up total risk. They interact with one another so that, depending on the choices made, the health problem either does or does not occur. The quantity/frequency choices needed to trigger the health problem depend on the level of inborn biological risk. Psychological and social factors influence quantity and frequency choices. Examples of psychological influences include values, attitudes, levels of stress, and personality traits such as being particularly impulsive or rebellious, or gregarious. The availability of drugs and alcoholic beverages and having friends who enjoy heavy drinking, are examples of social influences. Psychological and social factors do not directly cause the problems but rather influence choices, which interact with biological factors to determine whether or not a problem will occur.

To summarize, the Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model says that alcohol and drug problems result from an interaction of the quantity and frequency choices people make and their levels of biological risk. Psychological and social factors influence the choices people make. Alcohol and drug problems can happen to anyone who makes enough high-risk choices.

While the Lifestyle Risk Reduction Model was first developed to address health problems, it applies equally well to alcohol impairment problems, such as impaired driving. The formula is modified for impairment problems so that trigger level, or biological vulnerability, is replaced by a tolerance level, and situations that create risk are added to the equation.