The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has been an instrumental leader in shaping and supporting behavioral and social sciences research (BSSR) to improve the nation’s health. Integrated with advances in other scientific disciplines, BSSR has made substantial contributions to the prevention or treatment of numerous physical health and mental health conditions.
In collaboration with subject matter experts from Institutes, Centers, and Offices across NIH, the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR) has summarized some of the important scientific advances that demonstrate the valuable contribution of BSSR across various health conditions and behaviors. These summaries are provided as fact sheets and PowerPoint slides that highlight a significant public health problem and the corresponding BSSR-informed approaches used to address the problem. Various audiences such as academic researchers, public health organizations, and other health federal agencies, may find these materials useful to demonstrate to their stakeholders the importance of BSSR to the health of the United States population.
Unwanted teen pregnancy can result in socioeconomic and educational challenges for the mother and child. Although rates of teen pregnancy are dropping, they remain higher in the United States than in most other industrialized countries. BSSR-informed prevention programs have been shown to successfully lower rates of risky sexual behaviors and pregnancy in teens.
