Department of Health Behavior

https://public-health.tamu.edu/departments/hb/index.html

Department Head: Adam E. Barry, PhD

The Department of Health Behavior prepares students to identify the interdependent impact of biological, behavioral, environmental, and social forces on population and personal health. Students will have the opportunity to explore these influences through application based learning focused on (a) understanding and assessing health needs, and (b) planning, implementing, and evaluating programs, services, and policies designed to improve the health and quality of life of individuals and communities.

Health Behavior students have opportunities to work in a broad and diverse range of organizations, including but not limited to, local and state health departments; educational settings, such as schools and universities; for-profit businesses; government agencies; and non-governmental organizations. All graduate students in the Department of Health Behavior will be eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) exam once the degree is completed.

Health Behavior

HBEH 603 Social and Behavioral Determinants of Health

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. An overview of theories and principles focusing on social and behavioral determinants of health, the social-ecological approach to the examination of health and health behaviors, social patterns of health behavior, and an introduction to health promotion and public health interventions. Intended for non-majors.

HBEH 604 Social Ecology and Global Health

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Social, behavioral and ecological interventions in developing countries addressing major and emerging communicable diseases, pandemics, vaccine delivery, water and food chain safety, pollution and climate issues, addressed through theory and critical review of interventions.

HBEH 605 Applied Research Methods

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of quantitative and qualitative methods used by public health professionals, advantages and limitations of different methods, mechanisms for gathering data in a community setting, techniques for managing and analyzing data and strategies for presenting information to community members. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

HBEH 607 Biological Basis of Health and Common Diseases

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Designed to provide public health students grounding in the biological basis of health human functioning and the biology of diseases that they are likely to encounter in public health practice; overview of molecular biology, genetics, immunology, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, the metabolic syndrome, cancer, respiratory infections, intestinal infections, and emerging infectious diseases; recommended for all public health students who do not have significant training in medicine, nursing, pharmacy, or closely related field.

HBEH 610 Community Organization and Assessment

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. The nature of community and its role as setting, target and facilitator of health among its population; approaches to assessing community factors that influence health status; application of that information in planning community-based interventions.

HBEH 611 Program Planning

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Use of theory and evidence in planning public health interventions, appropriate objective development, integration of levels of intervention, consolidation of intervention strategies into coherent program design, program implementation, diffusion and institutionalization.

HBEH 612 Public Health Interventions

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Examination of the conceptualization and theoretical foundation, design, implementation, and effectiveness of specific public health interventions at the individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels for addressing particular chronic or infectious diseases related to health conditions or problems; specific focus may vary by semester. Prerequisites: HBEH 603.

HBEH 613 Program Evaluation

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Study of program evaluation techniques; focuses on issues relevant to the assessment and evaluation of health promotion interventions and examines the social context of program evaluation and a variety of epistemological orientations. Prerequisites: HPCH 603 and HPCH 605; HPCH 611 or concurrent enrollment.

HBEH 620 Introduction to Border Health

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. This course introduces the U.S.-Mexico border as a dynamic region where public health problems grow out of a combination of factors in the United States and Mexico. A major focal point is community health, to which the course relates the various public health disciplines as an introduction to public health. Overarching factors such as population movement, diverse sociocultural and economic demographics, and a rapidly expanding population influence infectious disease transmission and general population health. Information about the history and cultures of the South Texas region provide background information for understanding the confluence of factors shaping regional public health. Economic forces that influence health include the maquiladora system of binational factories that operate in a free-trade zone environment and the need for hand labor in various economic sectors in different parts of the United States. Environmental challenges in the region include water pollution and scarcity, air pollution, food supply problems, and poor urban and rural infrastructure. Policy and political factors also affect population health and economics along the border (e.g., NAFTA, homeland security, and state regulation of health insurance plans).

HBEH 625 Health of Refugees and Displaced Populations

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Basic principles, terms and tools necessary to design health interventions to address health emergencies involving refugee and displaced populations who have been displaced by war or armed conflict, famine, infectious diseases, political turmoil or other forms of disaster; focus on international and cross-cultural settings.

HBEH 628 HIV/AIDS: A Public Health Issue

Credits 0 to 3. 0 to 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of HIV/AIDS, including history of the epidemic, trends and geographic disparities, economic and social impact, high risk populations, prevention interventions, treatment and care; both domestic and international aspects of the HIV/AIDS epidemic; focus on prevention and social and policy focus that divert attention away from practical steps that need to be taken to prevent the spread of HIV.

HBEH 635 Community Health Development

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. The theory and practice of community development for health; a comparative study of community development models in diverse communities; analysis of how to create systematic and sustainable community change related to health and healthy communities, with attention to rural, minority and underserved communities.

HBEH 636 Study in China: Global Health Experience

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Study abroad designed for those with interests in global health; two weeks in Nanjing, Shanghai and Beijing of China; visit different public health agencies, health care, delivery organizations and community health centers; attend lectures delivered by public health and medicine faculty members from host institutes and discuss with Chinese public health students and professionals; includes pre-travel lectures and post-travel presentations. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor.

HBEH 637 Principles of Health Program Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Knowledge and skills in the management of health promotion programs, management theory, leadership, organizational assessment, planning, decision-making, organizational structure, budgeting, marketing and human resource management. Prerequisites: Graduate classification.

HBEH 638 Seminar on Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs

Credits 2 to 3. 2 to 3 Lecture Hours. In-depth study of public health issues and concerns related to alcohol, tobacco and other drug use; includes overview of contributing causative and mediating factors of drug use and theory-based prevention and intervention strategies and programs.

HBEH 640 Diet and Lifestyle Interventions for Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Diet and Lifestyle Interventions for Obesity, Diabetes, and Cardiovascular Disease. Diet and Lifestyle Interventions for Obesity, Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease reviews social and behavioral research related to the prevention and control of these diseases. The course reviews policy guidelines, the social and behavioral activities that are associated with beneficial clinical outcomes, and the methods used to increase these activities.

HBEH 641 Coaching Health Behavior Change

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Training in coaching lifestyle behavior change to prevent or manage common chronic diseases, effectiveness of lifestyle coaching; theories and practices in coaching for disease prevention; motivational and other interviewing techniques; goal setting and legal concerns.

HBEH 647 Public Health Informatics

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Overview of the field of public health informatics (PHI); informatics competencies for public health practitioners; key informatics challenges and current topics; evidence-based public health; data and vocabulary standards; interoperability and health information exchange; electronic health records for public health use; methods for evaluation of disease registries and public health surveillance systems; searching public health literature; sociotechnical components of public health information systems; matching business process and workflow analysis with user and functional requirements; database design; Structured Query Language (SQL); information visualization; bioinformatics tools. May be taken three times for credit.

HBEH 665 Proposal Writing and Grants Management

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. Introduction to skills needed to successfully develop proposals for funding in fields related to healthcare and social services; focuses on best methods used by community-based organizations to develop public and private funding applications, develop and maintain relationships with the funding agency and assess organizational implications of applying for and managing grants. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

HBEH 670 Seminar in History and Context of Public Health

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. This doctoral seminar will introduce doctoral students to major themes in public health with emphasis on the evolution of public health problems, and the future of public health. This course sets public health within context and discusses relationship to other related fields of study. May be taken 2 times for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor.

HBEH 671 Seminar in Public Health Theory

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. This doctoral seminar will review and reflect upon theories and perspectives that relate to public health problems and proposed solutions. Students will critique current social and behavioral theories, discussing commonalities and differences across multiple theoretical approaches for addressing public health problems. May be taken 2 times for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor.

HBEH 672 Seminar in Public Health Interventions

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. This doctoral seminar will focus on the examination of the theoretical foundation, implementation and effectiveness of public health interventions from a multi-level approach. The emphasis will be on the translation from research to practice, understanding the elements of evidence-based intervention strategies. May be taken 2 times for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor.

HBEH 673 Seminar in Public Health Evaluation

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. This doctoral seminar will review the conceptual and methodological elements of public health evaluations, providing an opportunity for reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of different public health evaluations. Students will be asked to design an evaluation strategy for a self-identified health problem/intervention approach. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

HBEH 674 Seminar in Social and Behavioral Health

Credits 3. 3 Lecture Hours. This doctoral seminar will cover topics of interest to faculty and students within the purview of social and behavioral health. The topic will be assigned the first day of class by mutual agreement of participating students and faculty. Students will be expected to reflect critically on the assigned literature and participate in classroom discussions. May be taken four times. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.

HBEH 684 Practicum

Credits 1 to 15. 1 to 15 Other Hours. Field placement experience where students work closely with a departmental faculty member and appropriate field professional(s) applying skills and techniques acquired through course work. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of student’s academic advisor.

HBEH 685 Directed Study

Credits 1 to 12. 1 to 12 Other Hours. Student investigation of a topic not covered by other formal courses. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of academic advisor.

HBEH 686 Directed Research

Credits 1 to 9. 1 to 9 Other Hours. Student research initiative not within the scope of a thesis or dissertation. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Approval of academic advisor.

HBEH 689 Special Topics - Social And Behavioral Health

Credits 1 to 4. 1 to 4 Other Hours. Revolving topics seminar in an area of specialization within the department. May be repeated for credit.

HBEH 691 Research

Credits 1 to 23. 1 to 23 Other Hours. Research for thesis or project. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; School of Public Health major.

HBEH 791 Doctoral Capstone

Credits 1 to 23. 1 to 23 Other Hours. Doctoral dissertation or equivalent project(s). May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; School of Public Health major.

Ajayi, Kobi Vanessa, Research Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2023

Andreasen, Liana Vrajitoru, Visiting Lecturer
Health Behavior
PHD, Binghamton University, 2004

Baetge, Claire C, Instructional Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2014

Baletka, Dawn Marie, Visiting Lecturer
Health Behavior
PHD, Sam Houston State University, 2006

Barry, Adam, Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2007

Blake, Jamilia J, Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, University of Georgia, 2007

Burdine, James N, Professor
Health Behavior
DrPH, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1979

Chen, Lei-Shih, Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2007

Chiang, Shawn, Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
MPH, George Washington University, 2017

Clark, Heather R, Assistant Professor of the Practice
Health Behavior
DrPH, Texas A&M University, 2014

Cobb, Cory, Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, University of Central Arkansas, 2019

Colwell, Brian, Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Indiana University at Bloomington, 1992

Deleon, Joy Yong Barros, Instructional Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, University of Alabama - Birmingham, 2017

Fehr, Sara K, Instructional Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, University of Cincinnati, 2015

Flores, Krystal, Instructional Associate Professor
Health Behavior
DrPH, Texas A&M University, 2019

Garney, Whitney R, Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2015

Gilreath, Tamika D, Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, The Pennsylvania State University, 2007

Hanik, Bruce W, Instructional Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2011

Ji, Qian, Instructional Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2021

Kim, Junhyoung, Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, The Pennsylvania State University, 2012

Le, Aurora, Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, 2020

Ma, Ping, Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, 2013

McNeill, Elisa H, Instructional Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2010

Montemayor, Benjamin Neil, Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, University of Kentucky, 2020

Owens, Christopher R, Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Indiana University-Bloomington, 2020

Patterson, Meg Stiefel, Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2016

Prochnow, Tyler, Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Baylor University, 2021

Rahn, Rhonda N, Instructional Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2014

Roque, Maria Teresa, Instructional Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2024

Sherman, Ledric D, Associate Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2013

Smith, Matthew L, Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2008

Stasi, Selina M, Instructional Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, Texas A&M University, 2018

Yudkin, Joshua, Assistant Professor
Health Behavior
PHD, University of Texas School of Public Health, 2023