Studying variation in healthy behaviors during the transition to adulthood is especially important given the strong relationships between these behaviors and incidence
of chronic illness. This study clearly identifies the transition to adulthood as an important point of healthy behavior decline that likely contributes to the development of chronic disease later in life. Future research should continue to study the long-term associations between early life circumstances, young adult health outcomes, and the development of chronic disease, as well as the relationships between young adult transitions such as family formation, schooling, home-leaving, and employment on healthy behavior trajectories.