The primary goal of prevention science is to improve public health by identifying malleable risk and protective factors, assessing the efficacy and effectiveness of preventive interventions and identifying optimal means for dissemination and diffusion of effective interventions. The field involves the study of human development and social ecology as well as the identification of factors and processes that lead to positive and negative health behaviors and outcomes. Theories of human development are used to design interventions (programs and policies) that target the reduction of risk and the enhancement of protective factors at the individual, familial, peer, community, and environmental levels. Prevention science involves three major domains: epidemiology, intervention development, and research methodology (includes design and statistical applications): (1) Epidemiology seeks to identify the predictors and processes associated with positive and negative behavioral outcomes and their distribution in populations; (2) Intervention focuses on altering trajectories by promoting positive developmental outcomes and reducing negative behaviors and outcomes; (3) Research methodology as used in prevention involves an array of tools and techniques including community entrance and engagement skills, study design, sampling methodologies, sample maintenance and retention, and statistical analyses.
The main objectives of the course are to a) introduce students to the concepts and field of prevention science; b) prepare students to critique and conduct prevention research; c) provide students with the knowledge to conceptualize, design, implement and evaluate prevention programs, and d) help students use knowledge about effective prevention programs for policy development. This course is open to a limited number of master's students with consent of the instructor.