Vic Strecher: Living with purpose

Population Healthy

In this episode of Population Healthy from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, Vic Strecher, a professor renowned for his work in behavior change and digital health, discusses the concept of purpose. Drawing from personal loss and professional research, he found that a strong sense of purpose can lead to a longer life, with improved emotional wellbeing, and even changes in gene expression leading to physical improvements. His experiences led him to create the Purposeful App, which helps users explore and define their personal purpose.
Aligning with the principles of public health, which aims at benefiting society as a whole, Strecher’s research demonstrates that a strong sense of purpose can reduce the likelihood of developing diseases like Alzheimer's by 1.5-2 times. Strecher encourages people to discover and apply purpose in their everyday lives by assessing what's most important across their life domains, and suggesting practical approaches like family volunteering.