Behavior and Health

Overview

Behavior and health describes the bidirectional relationship between what people do, day to day, and their physical and mental health outcomes, together with the scientific study of how behaviour can be measured, explained, and changed to improve well-being. Behavioural determinants of health include diet and nutrition, physical activity, substance use, sleep, health-seeking and preventive actions such as immunisation, and adherence to treatment, all of which interact with social, environmental, and economic context. Research in this area draws on behavioural and social-science theory to identify the cognitive and contextual factors that drive action, including attitudes, perceived social influence, and self-efficacy, and to explain why interventions succeed or fail across different populations and settings. A recurring theme is self-monitoring and feedback, in which tracking one's own behaviour supports self-management and adaptive change. Methodologically, the field combines prevalence and epidemiological surveys, theory-driven analysis of risk and protective factors, and the design and evaluation of behaviour-change interventions delivered at individual, community, and policy levels. Topics range from dietary risks such as excess salt intake, to caregiver involvement in child health, to behavioural support for people living with chronic conditions. The overarching aim is to translate understanding of human behaviour into effective, sustainable strategies for prevention and improved health.

Research published in this journal

6 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 6 articles above have been cited 15 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Nov 2026.

• Implementation and summative evaluation of a family-focused intervention to promote fathers’ engagement and support childhood immunization in peri-urban Ghana: a mixed methods study
  2026 · Research Square
• A Situational Analysis of the Contextual Factors Influencing Vaccine Uptake on Koome Island, Lake Victoria, Uganda
  2025 · Research Square
• Immunisation coverage and factors associated with incomplete immunisation in children under two during the COVID-19 pandemic in Sierra Leone
  Myrte Wassenaar et al. · 2024 · BMC Public Health
• Using photovoice methodology to uncover individual-level, health systems, and contextual barriers to uptake of second dose of measles containing vaccine in Western Area Urban, Sierra Leone, 2020
  2023 · Vaccine X
• Routine childhood immunization knowledge: Do fathers who accompany their children for immunization differ from those who accompany their children for circumcision?
  2023 · Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics
• Routine childhood immunization knowledge: Do fathers who accompany their children for immunization differ from those who accompany their children for circumcision?
  Sadoh Ayebo Evawere et al. · 2023 · Nigerian Journal of Paediatrics
• Using photovoice methodology to uncover individual-level, health systems, and contextual barriers to uptake of second dose of measles containing vaccine in Western Area Urban, Sierra Leone, 2020
  Shibani Kulkarni et al. · 2023 · Vaccine: X
• Childcare Arrangements and Wellbeing of Children of Employed Women in Central Uganda
  2022 · Child Indicators Research

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Behavior and Health, linking to each citing work.

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.

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