domingo, 18 de agosto de 2013

American Public Health Association - Integration of Behavioral, Social Science and Genetics Research: Exploring Public Health Significance

Michael L. Spittel, Erica L. Spotts, and Bethany G. Deeds. (2013). Integration of Behavioral, Social Science and Genetics Research: Exploring Public Health Significance. American Journal of Public Health. e-View Ahead of Print.

doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301539

Accepted on: Jun 24, 2013

Integration of Behavioral, Social Science and Genetics Research: Exploring Public Health Significance

Michael L. Spittel, Erica L. Spotts, and Bethany G. Deeds

At the time of the writing, Michael L. Spittel and Erica L. Spotts were with the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Bethany G. Deeds is with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health.

Correspondence should be sent to Michael L. Spittel, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, National Institutes of Health, 31 Center Drive, B1-C19, Bethesda, MD 20892-2027 (e-mail: Michael.Spittel@nih.gov). Reprints can be ordered at http://www.ajph.org by clicking the “Reprints” link.

Note. The findings and conclusions in this editorial are those of the authors and should not be construed to represent the views of the Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institutes of Health or any of the sponsoring organizations and agencies, or the US government.

ABSTRACT

The Human Genome Project heralded an expansive growth of genetic data during the past decade, and yet a key scientific challenge remains. How does this growing genetic data impact behavioral and social science research (BSSR), and what is the impact on the public’s health? BSSR factors have long played a pivotal role in scientific understanding of illness and health by generating improvements in the identification, treatment and prevention of diseases and promoting health and well-being. In fact, never before has BSSR been so rich on three distinct but overlapping fronts: analytical methods, data on human behavior, and biological information. As scientific understanding of the biological foundation of behavior and social life advances, the integration of these findings has become critical to health and medicine. The question is no longer, Are we the product of nature or nurture? but now becomes, What mechanisms explain how social and behavioral factors interact with biological systems to impact both the health of individuals and of populations? (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print August 8, 2013: e1–e3. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2013.301539)