title: Integrating knowledge across domains to advance the science of health behavior: overcoming challenges and facilitating success.
abstract: Health behaviors often co-occur and have common determinants at multiple levels (e.g., individual, relational, environmental). Nevertheless, research programs often examine single health behaviors without a systematic attempt to integrate knowledge across behaviors. This paper highlights the significant potential of cross-cutting behavioral research to advance our understanding of the mechanisms and causal factors that shape health behaviors. It also offers suggestions for how researchers could develop more effective interventions. We highlight barriers to such an integrative science along with potential steps that can be taken to address these barriers. With a more nuanced understanding of health behavior, redundancies in research can be minimized, and a stronger evidence base for the development of health behavior interventions can be realized.
authors: Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 3E140, MSC 9761, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9761, USA. kleinwm@mail.nih.gov.
authors: William M P
authors: WM
authors: Klein
authors: Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 3E140, MSC 9761, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9761, USA.
authors: Emily G
authors: EG
authors: Grenen
authors: Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 3E140, MSC 9761, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9761, USA.
authors: Mary
authors: M
authors: O'Connell
authors: Department of Natural and Applied Sciences, Bentley University, Waltham, MA, 02452, USA.
authors: Danielle
authors: D
authors: Blanch-Hartigan
authors: Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 3E140, MSC 9761, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9761, USA.
authors: Wen-Ying Sylvia
authors: WS
authors: Chou
authors: Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 3E140, MSC 9761, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9761, USA.
authors: Kara L
authors: KL
authors: Hall
authors: Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, NIH, DHHS, 9609 Medical Center Drive, Room 3E140, MSC 9761, Bethesda, MD, 20892-9761, USA.
authors: Jennifer M
authors: JM
authors: Taber
authors: Clinical Research Directorate/Clinical Monitoring Research Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., NCI Campus at Frederick, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA.
authors: Amanda L
authors: AL
authors: Vogel
mesh_terms: D019033:Delivery of Health Care, Integrated / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004777:Environment; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012586:Science / Q000379:methods*; D014481:United States
keywords: Health behavior; Integration; Interventions; Theory