What does HBB mean in HEALTHCARE

The Health Behavior Branch (HBB) is a branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). HBB works to promote healthy behaviors among individuals, families, and communities by developing, implementing, and evaluating evidence-based strategies to reduce chronic disease and death from health behaviors such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, unhealthy diets, excessive alcohol use, and risky sexual practices.

HBB provides training for state and local public health professionals; technical assistance on state and local policy initiatives to reduce chronic diseases; evidence-based program guidance on obesity prevention; evaluations of state and national programs related to health behaviors; surveillance of risk behavior trends; research into causes of health disparities; communication materials to support public awareness projects; and data analysis for program planning.

You can visit the Health Behavior Branch website at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/about_hbb/index.html to learn more about the organization’s mission, work areas, strategic objectives, publications & resources, team members and contact information.

The Health Behavior Branch works with state and local public health departments to develop comprehensive approaches that promote healthy lifestyles among individuals, families and communities with an emphasis on reducing chronic diseases associated with poor diet choices or lack of physical activity. Basically, by reducing unhealthy lifestyle choices we can limit the number of people who develop or are at risk for developing chronic diseases in our communities.

The Health Behavior Branch conducts both qualitative and quantitative research designed to uncover actionable insights about how best to promote healthy behaviors among individuals, families and communities. This research includes examining trends in health behaviors as well as determinants influencing these behaviors through collection of primary data on individual behavior change efforts or environmental changes meant to influence health behavior outcomes.

HBB evaluates programs designed to reduce exposure or susceptibility to risk factors associated with negative health outcomes by understanding which components of interventions produce promising results through its scientifically rigorous evaluation processes. This process allows us to understand what works so that we can improve upon or replicate successful programs in other locations or settings.

In order to ensure that our findings are accessible for practitioners seeking evidence-based solutions we publish our results in peer-reviewed journals as well as at conferences held domestically and internationally. Additionally we create communications materials such a short films summarizing our research outcomes which are shared via social media channels such as Twitter alongside additional resources available online directly through our website.