Behavior Matters: The Relevance, Impact, and Reach of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background/Purpose: Growing evidence suggests behavioral interventions that target a few key behaviors may be effective at improving population-level health outcomes; health status indicators; social, economic, and physical environments; personal capacity; and biological outcomes. A theoretical framework that targets both social and cognitive mechanisms of behavioral interventions is outlined as critical for understanding “ripple effects” of behavioral interventions on influencing a broad range of outcomes associated with improved health and well-being. Methods/Results: Evidence from randomized controlled trials is reviewed and demonstrates support for ripple effects—the effects that behavioral interventions have on multiple outcomes beyond the intended primary target of the interventions. These outcomes include physical, psychological, and social health domains across the lifespan. Conclusions: Cascading effects of behavioral interventions have important implications for policy that argue for a broader conceptualization of health that integrates physical, mental, and social well-being outcomes into future research to show the greater return on investment.