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. KeywordsIntegration, Health behavior, Theory, Interventions INTRODUCTION Many chronic diseases in the U.S., including several cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity, share a common set of behavioral determinants such as tobacco use, excessive use of alcohol, poor dietary habits, and sedentary behavior [1]. These health behaviors relate to one another in multiple ways. First, the behaviors themselves tend to cluster within individuals; for example, tobacco users are often more likely to consume alcohol [2] and less likely to adhere to medical regimens [3]. Second, health behaviors can be driven by shared mechanisms. For example, sensitivity to certain tastes may affect tobacco (e.g., use of menthol) and food behaviors (e.g., avoidance of spicy foods) [4]. Self-regulation efforts in one behavioral domain contribute to the likelihood of successful self-regulation in other domains [5], and failures to appropriately prioritize long-term health consequences over immediate affective or social benefits can contribute to addictive behaviors and unhealthy food choices (e.g., calorie-rich and low-nutrient foods) [6].

The impact of health literacy on knowledge, Attitude and decision towards hospice care among community-dwelling seniors

“…The factors affecting hospice decision and decision are also important. In the traditional knowledge–attitude–practice model, knowledge influences an individual's health attitude, and then both have effects on behaviour or practice (Klein et al, ). In accordance with this model, our findings showed that the impact of knowledge of hospice care on attitude towards hospice care was the most robust, followed by attitude towards hospice care on decision towards hospice care and knowledge of hospice care on decision towards hospice care (Figure ).…”

Reflections on Six Decades of Research on Adolescent Behavior and Development

“…This recognition has transformed what previously had been specializations by developmental scholars in particular problem behaviors, e.g., delinquency, or drinking behavior, or tobacco use, or precocious sexual activity, etc., into greater acceptance of the obligation in developmental research to engage the larger pattern of involvements across those previously segmented domains. [For a similar issue in health behavior research, the report of a recent meeting sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (Klein et al 2016) stated: "… research programs often examine single health behaviors without a systematic attempt to integrate knowledge across behaviors." (p. 1); and concluded that "Integrating knowledge across behavioral domains is a public health imperative."…”

Does Better Health-Related Knowledge Predict Favorable Health Behavior in Adolescents?

“…The sample size was relatively small but was adequate for structural equation model construction, which confirmed that all models tested in the study were acceptably fitted to the data. The applied retrospective data collection followed standardized protocols, and different behaviors were investigated at the same time as suggested in a recent article [24]. Second, the study specifically focused on the complex relationships between adolescent's health behavior and knowledge.…”