title: Getting beyond technical rationality in developing health behavior programs with youth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore 2 major components of health behavior research, etiologic research and action research. To argue that action research is both an artistic as well as scientific process.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of the development process of effective health behavior programs with youth. Review of literature on art as part of the scientific process, especially in the field of education.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intervention programs that included explicitly creative components demonstrated success in reducing alcohol use and increasing healthful eating and activity patterns.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Health behavior researchers might involve art and creativity in action research to enhance program retention and outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. perry@epi.umn.edu
authors.forename: Cheryl L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Perry
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001154:Art; D002648:Child; D003405:Creativity; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016730:Program Development; D014925:Wit and Humor as Topic