Health behaviors and social factors dramatically influence how we develop and manage chronic health conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity. First-line treatments for these diseases often include recommendations for behavior change and lifestyle modification, so the entire health care team must understand the social context and unique behavioral patterns of individual patients to provide appropriate and effective care.
UAB has launched the new Behavioral and Social Sciences Program to meet this need. Housed in the Division of Preventive Medicine, the program will accelerate scientific discovery to develop, evaluate and apply behavioral interventions to the prevention and management of chronic disease.
Gareth Dutton, Ph.D., Endowed Professor of Diabetes Prevention and Control in the Division of Preventive Medicine, will serve as Director of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Program. Dutton is a highly regarded behavioral scientist whose NIH-funded research focuses on the development and evaluation of lifestyle interventions for weight management, diabetes prevention and management, and related health behaviors. Much of his work also focuses on the translation of evidence-based interventions to clinical and community settings and minoritized groups.
“All health care — even pharmacological, surgical, and other intervention strategies — involves some level of patient self-management and behavior change. Thus, interventions that are grounded in behavioral science theory and rely on evidence-based behavior change strategies are crucial for the prevention and management of a spectrum of chronic diseases,” Dutton says.
The Behavioral and Social Sciences Program will provide important support and infrastructure for our faculty, patients, and learners, as most chronic conditions disproportionately affecting our state and region, including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, HIV, addiction, and others, are heavily influenced by behavioral risk factors and social context. Interventions that effectively target behavioral and social factors — such as diet, physical activity, smoking, adherence to medications and/or screening procedures — are needed to reduce risk and improve outcomes.
Anupam Agarwal, M.D., dean of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine and senior vice president for Medicine said, “The program will provide a platform through which UAB investigators can collaborate across disease states and health behaviors to apply innovative frameworks, methods, and interventions to multiple chronic conditions. The program will also help support efforts to recruit new behavioral and social scientists to UAB.”
While its primary focus relates to behavioral and social science research, the program also will be positioned to support the improvement of clinical outcomes and leverage existing community resources by identifying evidence-based behavioral interventions and work with clinics and the health system to integrate these interventions, referrals, or screening procedures into clinical care. Another focus of the program includes developing and providing training and skill-building opportunities for faculty and other learners related to behavioral and social interventions. Training and enrichment opportunities will focus on emerging topics in behavioral and social science study designs, methods, and interventional strategies.
Department of Medicine Chair Seth Landefeld, M.D., says, “The Behavioral and Social Sciences Program represents an important resource for, and unique feature of, the Department of Medicine that sets us apart from similar departments at other institutions. It has tremendous potential to support our mission to maximize health and eliminate suffering by caring for people, teaching, and creating knowledge.”