Behavior change

Most people know they should abstain from smoking, practice safe sex, moderate their drinking, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Most who have a chronic illness know they should make certain lifestyle changes and take their medications as prescribed. Yet far fewer actually do so. What does it take to motivate individuals and populations to follow through in choosing the behaviors that help promote health and prevent or manage illness? That is the core issue that Group Health Research Institute (GHRI) investigators address in a wide range of studies to develop and refine effective interventions to lower behavioral risk factors for diseases, especially chronic ones.

This issue is critical, according to GHRI Associate Director Jennifer B. McClure, PhD: "Nearly half of the leading causes of death in our society are attributable to modifiable behaviors such as unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, using tobacco, drugs, or alcohol, and failure to get screened for cancer," she says. Helping individuals understand the relation between behavior and health, make healthier lifestyle choices, and sustain these changes can be difficult, she acknowledges; doing so will have a substantial positive impact on health and health care in the United States.

After teaching people to wear bike helmets and devising the Free & Clear smoking cessation program, GHRI investigators understand that interventions work best when tailored to individuals' needs. GHRI researchers collaborate with colleagues from institutions including the University of Washington (UW) Harborview Injury and Prevention Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC), Duke University, University of Wisconsin, University of Michigan, and Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research. Together, they are discovering new ways to help people take better care of themselves—often using new information technologies and innovative intervention models to facilitate behavior change.

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GHRI researchers in behavior change

Affiliate researchers

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Recent publications on behavior change

2010

Ludman E, Simon GE, Ichikawa LE, Operskalski BH, Arterburn D, Linde JA, Jeffery RW, Rohde P, Finch EA. Does depression reduce the effectiveness of behavioral weight loss treatment? Behav Med. 2010;35(4):126-34. PubMed

McClure JB, Swan GE, Catz SL, Jack L, Javitz H, McAfee T, Deprey M, Richards J, Zbikowski SM. Smoking outcome by psychiatric history after behavioral and varenicline treatment. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2010;38(4):394-402. Epub 2010 Apr 2. PubMed

Swan GE, McClure JB, Jack LM, Zbikowski SM, Javitz HS, Catz SL, Deprey M, Richards J, McAfee TA. Behavioral counseling and varenicline treatment for smoking cessation. Am J Prev Med. 2010;38(5):482-90. PubMed

2009

Goldberg J, Bogart A, Gonzales AA. Social capital and health: a study of adult twins in the U.S. Am J Prev Med. 2009;36(3):280-2;author reply 282. PubMed

McBride CM, Alford SH, Reid RJ, Larson EB, Baxevanis AD, Brody LC. Characteristics of users of online personalized genomic risk assessments: implications for physician-patient interactions. Genet Med. 2009;11(8):582-7. PubMed

McClure JB, Swan GE, Jack L, Catz SL, Zbikowski SM, McAfee TA, Deprey M, Richards J, Javitz H. Mood, side-effects and smoking outcomes among persons with and without probable lifetime depression taking varenicline. J Gen Intern Med. 2009;24(5):563-9. Epub 2009 Feb 24. PubMed

2008

Benedict MA, Arterburn D. Worksite-based weight loss programs: a systematic review of recent literature. Am J Health Promot. 2008;22(6):408-16. PubMed

Green BB, Cook AJ, Ralston JD, Fishman PA, Catz SL, Carlson J, Carrell D, Tyll L, Larson EB, Thompson RS. Effectiveness of home blood pressure monitoring, Web communication, and pharmacist care on hypertension control: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2008;299(24):2857-67. PubMed

McAfee TA, Bush T, Deprey TM, Mahoney LD, Zbikowski SM, Fellows JL, McClure JB. Nicotine patches and uninsured quitline callers. A randomized trial of two versus eight weeks. Am J Prev Med. 2008;35(2):103-10. PubMed

Nguyen HQ, Koepsell T, Unutzer J, Larson E, LoGerfo JP. Depression and use of a health plan-sponsored physical activity program by older adults. Am J Prev Med. 2008;35(2):111-7. Epub 2008 Jun 11. PubMed

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Our major research interests

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