Social and Behavioral Sciences in Public Health

Eric Salazar

Welcome back, everyone, to another episode of Introduction to Public Health! I'm Eric, joined by Megan, Wynette, and Ethan. Today, we're tackling how social and behavioral sciences shape... well, the very core of public health. And honestly, as someone who went from hospital wards to working on policy, this is the stuff that changed how I see health. I mean, when we say "social determinants," it’s not just buzzwords—it’s how the bus schedule, the food you can buy, and the music at your local place of worship actually affect if you even get to the doctor. Like, case in point: Miami, where that city finally extended their public transportation lines. Suddenly you’ve got people who can commute to work more reliably and, crucially, make it to their health appointments. It’s not just convenience—it's access to care, especially for communities who haven't always had a fair shot.

Wynette Mockler

That’s so true, Eric. I grew up in rural South Dakota, where, if you lost your job at the grain elevator, suddenly you lost your insurance and maybe even your ride into town. But I think, too, about how culture shapes what we eat, how we act when we're sick—or even whether we trust the hospital at all. Like, when I travelled in Asia, every part of daily life—the foods, the way folks cook, their beliefs about illness—was driven by deep-rooted culture. And that spilled over big time into how people approached prevention or interventions. It’s easy to take our own perspectives for granted, but these differences shape so much of our public health strategy.

Megan Taylor

Yeah, and let’s not forget the influence of religion. I did some work with a community here in the States with strong Islamic practices—the beliefs around food, women’s health, even just how health campaigns were received, that was a huge eye-opener for me. What works in one neighborhood might not in another, and public health folks really can’t use a "one-size-fits-all" approach, right?

Eric Salazar

A hundred percent, Megan. And actually, I gotta tell you all, I—this is embarrassing—I once got totally lost cycling into a new Miami neighborhood. GPS failed me, my sense of direction is a running joke among my friends, but I ended up bumping into this little food pantry run by neighbors, mostly for folks without health insurance. They had these informal networks filling gaps the formal healthcare system just wasn’t touching. It’s a reminder: social systems aren't always organizations, sometimes they're just people rolling up their sleeves. And, uh, maybe someone using their bike as an accidental tour guide.

Ethan Collins

That’s exactly it—community-based, informal systems can change health outcomes as much as formal policies. And when we talk about socioeconomic status—income, education, occupation—those aren't abstract metrics. They shape everything, from what medicines people can afford to whether they have steady housing... And if you're trying to change health behavior, but you’re not thinking about context, it’s just not gonna work. Remember our earlier episode on social determinants? This is that, but in action—culture, religion, and social networks are the setting for every "success story" or challenge we tackle in public health.

Wynette Mockler

Absolutely. It’s about understanding not just what people need, but where they're coming from. Sometimes, the clinic isn't even on their radar because the community already has informal solutions—or sometimes, barriers that we might miss unless we look at the bigger picture.

Megan Taylor

Alright, so let’s turn to the million-dollar question: can we actually change health behaviors? And why are some habits, like quitting smoking, so tough, while others—maybe swapping aspirin for acetaminophen—feel easy? I mean, I tried to help my younger brother avoid getting hooked on vaping, and, wow, it’s almost like the harder I push, the more he tuned out. Turns out, there’s science behind all this, right?

Ethan Collins

There definitely is. You’ve got behavioral models like the Stages of Change—so, is someone even thinking about quitting, or have they already tried five times? Then there’s Social Cognitive Theory: it’s not just about willpower, but about what people see modeled around them—their friends, influencers, whoever. And don’t forget the Health Belief Model: if someone doesn’t think smoking will hurt them, or doesn’t believe quitting will really help... good luck changing their mind.

Eric Salazar

And honestly, incentives play a role. Like, why did switching from aspirin to acetaminophen catch on so quickly, especially when Reye’s Syndrome hit the headlines? Partly because you could swap one pill for another. But quitting something addictive—smoking, opioids, vaping—that’s a totally different level. There’s the dopamine, the withdrawal, the social factors, and let’s not kid ourselves, sometimes you hit a wall even if you want to change.

Wynette Mockler

I see that a lot working with vaccine uptake in my community. Education helps, but there’s a point where facts alone aren’t enough. It’s things like peer support, that sense of belonging, and even what’s trending that can tip the scale. And—Megan, back to your brother—sometimes, the "cool factor" of influencers online outweighs everything else. Frankly, I’ve had more success talking through concerns one-on-one or pairing folks with local champions—people they actually trust—than just giving them pamphlets or stats.

Megan Taylor

That’s such a good point, Wynette—sometimes changing group behavior reinforces individual choices. Like, when big anti-smoking campaigns hit, suddenly, it wasn’t "weird" to try quitting anymore. Now it’s like... who’s still smoking, you know?

Ethan Collins

Exactly, and that’s why public health can’t just focus on individuals. Group-level and population-level interventions matter—making healthy choices visible and aspirational, shifting social norms... Trends, hashtags, even TikTok challenges—those can do a lot to nudge behavior, sometimes more than clinical advice. The interplay is complex: sometimes we’re following a crowd, sometimes we’re set in our ways, but group interventions amplify individual and vice versa.

Eric Salazar

And don’t forget the role of behavioral economics. We’re all predictable in our unpredictability—losses loom larger than gains, so if you make it easier to keep default healthy choices, folks stick to them without a battle of wills. That’s actually a core principle in a lot of the big "nudge" interventions in public health right now.

Ethan Collins

So, let’s get practical—how do we actually design interventions that work? One way is social marketing, which borrows from commercial marketing but spins it for health. Campaigns like the Truth® campaign? That’s a masterclass in branding and messaging—making not smoking cooler than smoking ever was. Same goes for the VERB™ campaign with physical activity for kids; they used the "four P’s"—product, price, place, and promotion. You give people something to latch onto, sometimes throw in incentives, and... well, suddenly healthy behavior is the new trend.

Megan Taylor

And it’s not just about slick ads. It’s about connecting to what matters in a community. Like, I remember the VERB™ campaign had local events and gear that kids actually wanted. Health education mixed with some serious creativity. That kind of branding—making being active "cool"—that’s genius, honestly.

Wynette Mockler

Right, but building a campaign is only one part. The PRECEDE-PROCEED framework helps public health professionals actually plan out interventions from the ground up. It’s pretty thorough—first, you figure out what people in a community think they need and what really matters to them; then you dig into the data to pinpoint which groups are most at risk. For example, if gun violence is a concern, you gather community input, analyze data, look at behaviors and contributing factors, and then design programs specifically for the local context. You keep building and adjusting as you go, so you’re not just dropping in with a one-size-fits-all plan.

Eric Salazar

Yeah, and the framework even accounts for evaluating what you've done along the way—like, did folks show up to the intervention? Was there an actual drop in the thing you’re trying to address, say, like youth gun violence or smoking rates? I always worry about missing the big picture, so having a stepwise plan—PRECEDE for diagnosis, PROCEED for action and evaluation—keeps things grounded and focused on actual outcomes, not just neat ideas.

Ethan Collins

As someone who chews on data a lot, the evaluation part is where you find out if you’ve moved the needle at all. Process evaluation checks if you delivered what you intended. Impact evaluation asks if you changed the stuff you set out to change—like kids avoiding gangs because of a new mentorship program. And outcome evaluation is the big one: did deaths or harms actually drop? Take COVID-19 vaccination campaigns—education alone wasn’t enough, so we layered in incentives, mandates, empathy, even different vaccine delivery methods. And then we measured, measured, measured.

Wynette Mockler

Exactly—what we said last episode about the human context behind data totally comes into play here. If you don’t evaluate and adjust, your campaign could have high energy but make no real difference for the people who need it most.

Megan Taylor

And as we’ve seen, all these tools are more powerful when we remember to listen—let the folks in the community shape the interventions. That’s how you close gaps and get people on board, not just toss information at them.

Eric Salazar

Alright, I think that brings us full circle—social and behavioral sciences aren’t just academic boxes to tick, they’re the ingredients for real change. We can make a difference, but only if we keep learning from people, adapting, and, honestly, critiquing our own efforts. I’m pumped about where this field is headed!

Megan Taylor

Me too. Well, thanks for listening in, everyone. Keep sending us your stories and questions—we love hearing from you.

Wynette Mockler

Absolutely, and stay hopeful—change takes time, but it’s possible. Thanks for joining us today.

Ethan Collins

Alright, that's it from us. See you next time on Introduction to Public Health. Take care, everyone!