Join the Twitter Chat: Exploring System and Social Science in Public Health

Join the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Research (OBSSR) and SAGE for a live twitter chat where authors and editors will be answering questions about the use of system science methods – such as computer and mathematical modeling – in improving public health. The chat will take place on December 4 at 2:00 PM EST. Submit your questions now using #HEBchat. Follow @SAGEHealthInfo, @SOPHEtweets, and @NIHOBSSR for more information.

The twitter chat will be based on a recently released supplement of Health Education & Behavior (HE&B) which examines the pioneering use systems science to address the complexity of public health research. “Systems Science Applications in Health Promotion and Public Health,” guest edited by Patricia Mabry and Bobby Milstein, features a collection of 11 peer-reviewed articles that show how systems science methods have been used in real-world challenges. Topics of the papers include smoking and tobacco control, obesity prevention, physical activity, oral health, prescription drug abuse, crime reporting interventions, and HIV/STI prevention. The supplement has applications for researchers in public health and the behavioral and social sciences. All articles are available open access to the public.

An excerpt from the editorial of the supplement explains, “This collection of articles opens a window on the growing volume, topical range, and methodological diversity of contemporary applications of systems science in public health. Our goal in publishing this supplement is to acquaint the readers of HE&B with the potential of systems science methodologies and to showcase an impressive cross section of previously funded studies. Thus, we expect this supplement will challenge research scientists, public health practitioners, professional preparation educators, and policymakers to explore opportunities for adopting and adapting systems science within their spheres of influence.”

The supplement is published with the support of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR), the National Institute on Aging, the National Cancer Institute, the National Dental and Craniofacial Institute, and the Fogarty International Center. It is available open access athttp://heb.sagepub.com/content/40/1_suppl.toc.