I love you with all my lungs: a viewpoint on communicating effectively and positively about lung health

Abstract

The respiratory community is slowly but progressively learning effective communication strategies for promoting positive messages on lung health [1, 2]. Implementation research, or the systematic study of methods that support the application of research findings and other evidence-based knowledge into policy and practice [3], has been mostly used in communicable, infectious diseases, as exemplified recently with the COVID-19 pandemic [4, 5]. However, it has been ill-used in noncommunicable diseases [6], particularly in chronic respiratory diseases [7]. It is time to change that, as lung health is a fundamental component of overall well-being; and there cannot be health without lung health [8]. After all, the vital capacity obtained by spirometry is “vital”, because its impairment is a strong predictor of mortality in otherwise healthy individuals [9]. Communicating effectively about lung health is essential for raising awareness, promoting preventive behaviours, and fostering positive attitudes toward respiratory well-being.