SBM President Ellen Beckjord’s message on ‘health takes time’ resonates with me as a physical activity researcher. Often times, I develop interventions for physical activity maintenance where we dedicate time to work with individuals to adopt physical activity as a first step. We then find ways to make it habitual and a part of who they are (identity) for lifelong participation in physical activity.
School’s out for summer! It’s time to get outside and play with friends, right? Not so fast! As our planet warms up, extreme heat and air pollution can make outdoor activities challenging. Fortunately, behavioral medicine researchers have recommendations to help youth stay active over the summer.
Minoritized populations have been underrepresented in research, limiting generalizability and perpetuating health disparities. Recruitment barriers include lack of trust due to the exploitation of marginalized populations within research, limited knowledge of research opportunities, and study demands, among others. Herein, traditional and contemporary strategies to effectively recruit minority populations are provided.
Despite enrolling in VA’s weight management program (MOVE!) at higher rates than other veteran groups, Non-Hispanic Black or African American (hereafter Black) veterans are less likely to lose a clinically meaningful amount of weight after participating in the program. These disparities are also observed in the general population.
As scientists and practitioners, it can be frustrating to scroll through the abundance of misinformation available online. We know there are evidence-based solutions, but often struggle to translate scientific information for public benefit. Stephanie Compton, PhD, RD, LDN, a postdoctoral cancer researcher at Pennington Biomedical Research Center with expertise in nutrition and metabolism, shared some key takeaways from her experiences with science communication via social media.
Late last November, a group of SBM past presidents gathered informally to discuss how the Society could create value for senior career members, while drawing upon their breadth of experience. Some attendees felt acutely aware that our population is aging rapidly, while living longer, working longer, and having a smaller next generation to replace them.
Dissemination and implementation (D&I) research is the science of translating programs, interventions, and treatments with proven efficacy into practice in the real-world. D&I researchers within behavioral medicine must often consider theories of behavior change within the context of D&I models, and frameworks.
‘Precision Prevention’ is crucial in the domain of diabetes prevention, extending the principles of precision medicine to the prevention of diseases.1 The objective of precision prevention is to identify high-risk individuals for certain diseases and providing them with interventions tailored specifically to their unique characteristics.
There is a growing body of literature that reflects the importance or attending to issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in every level of primary care from clinician education and recruitment to implementing evidence-based, whole-person health initiatives. This literature highlights that attending to DEIB issues contributes to the overall health and well-being of communities.
Despite the past nearly 23 years of heightened military activity, Americans have fewer ties to the military than ever before. This “military-civilian gap” contributes to misunderstanding, negative stereotypes, and feelings of isolation. Greater cultural competence among researchers, clinicians, and policy makers is critical for narrowing this gap and mitigating its effects on behavioral health.
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Health takes time. This seems like an obvious, simple statement, but it’s one I find bears repeating often, because a hallmark feature of modern American life is the implicit expectation that everything should happen instantly and nothing should require time.