Behavioral Sciences

Human behavior is central to the development and remediation of almost all injury and disease.  People who do not wear seat belts, have guns in the house, smoke, have unprotected sex with multiple partners, drink too much, are obese, don’t wash their hands frequently, or fish for crabs in the costal waters of Alaska are more vulnerable to injury and disease than others because of their actions.  These are but a few of the behaviors that contribute to the likelihood of injury and disease. There are, of course, factors beyond the behavioral influence of people in incurring injuries or developing a disease: e.g. parentage, environment and luck.  But at this point in history, it can be said that most people behave themselves into poor health and must behave themselves into health.

A core competency of the University of Miami-Humana Health Services Research Center is in the behavioral sciences with special emphasis on health behavior and health behavior change.  The Center sponsors a Health Behavior Laboratory that tests out new concepts, devices, and processes. 

Because of the unique relationship between Humana and the University of Miami, Laboratory nurses are stationed in clinical facilities of the University operated by the faculty practice plan.  This provides access to patients and both clinical and claims data.

The Laboratory also conducts collaborative research with various clinical departments at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine.  Most of this research is interventional in nature using various communication mechanisms to improve health behavior.

The Laboratory is interested in theory development and the staff is currently working on testing the concept that long term health behavior change is best approached as a human performance.  In addition, the Laboratory tackles difficult health behavior issues that have significant impact on long term health consequences.  Projects related to obesity are receiving special attention at this point in time.