Health Behavior and Lifestyle Change

A major focus of RAND Health’s work on health behavior has been obesity and how the built environment affects health through food choice, opportunity for exercise, and safety. Studies have also examined how the health behaviors of specific groups—for example, women, HIV–positive individuals, or immigrants—differ from the behaviors of the general population. Project ALERT, a school-based drug-prevention program, was based on helping students identify and resist pro-drug pressures and understand the social, emotional, and physical consequences of using harmful substances. Project ALERT is now the most widely used science-based drug prevention program in U.S. schools.