Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine Vol. 80, No. 4, December 2003  2003 The New York Academy of Medicine The Role of Social and Behavioral Science in Public Health Practice: A Study of the New York City Department of Health Nancy VanDevanter, Marybeth Shinn, Kathryn Tannert Niang, Amy Bleakley, Sarah Perl, and Neal Cohen ABSTRACT Studies over the last decade have demonstrated the effectiveness of public health interventions based on social and behavioral science theory for many health problems. Little is known about the extent to which health departments are currently utilizing these theories. This study assesses the application of social and behavioral science to programs in the New York City Department of Health (NYCDOH). Struc- tured open-ended interviews were conducted with executive and program management staff of the health department. Respondents were asked about the application of social and behavioral sciences within their programs, and about the benefits and barriers to increasing the use of such approaches. Themes related to the aims of the study were identified, a detailed coding manual developed, narrative data were coded indepen- dently by two investigators (κ .85), and data analyzed. Interviews were conducted with 61 eligible individuals (response rate 88%). The most common applications of social and behavioral science were individual-level behavior change to prevent HIV transmission and community-level interventions utilizing community organizing models and/or media interventions for health promotion and disease prevention. There are generally positive attitudes about the benefits of utilizing these sciences; however, there are also reservations about expanded use because of resource constraints. While NYCDOH has successfully applied social and behavioral sciences in some areas of practice, many areas use them minimally or not at all. Increasing use will require additional resources. Partnerships with academic institutions can bring additional so- cial and behavioral science resources to health departments and benefit researchers understanding of the health department environment. INTRODUCTION The major contributors to mortality today are linked to behavioral and social fac- tors such as tobacco use, poor diet, lack of physical exercise, use of drugs and alcohol, sexual behavior, and lack of access to medical care. 1 Studies over the last decade have demonstrated the effectiveness of interventions based on social and behavioral science theory for the prevention of HIV, 2–4 cardiovascular disease, 5–6 alcohol-related problems, 7 cancer, 8 homelessness, 9 and mental health. 10 These stud- Dr. VanDevanter and Ms. Bleakley are with the Center for Applied Public Health, Mailman School of Public Health , Columbia University, New York, New York; Dr. Shinn is with the Department of Psy- chology, New York University, New York, New York; Ms. Niang and Ms. Perl are with the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, New York, New York; and Dr. Cohen is with the AMDeC Foundation Inc, New York, New York. Correspondence: Nancy VanDevanter, DrPH, Center for Applied Public Health, Department of So- ciomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, 722 W. 168th St., New York, NY 10032. (E-mail: nlvwork@aol.com) 625