Designing evidence-based public health and prevention programs: Expert program developers explain the science and art

Public health efforts such as quarantine and isolation had often been initiated in response to intermittent epidemics; but in the “great sanitary awakening” of the 19th century, public health initiatives became proactive. Ongoing public health campaigns aimed to prevent disease outbreak through, for example, enhanced personal hygiene. As the public health and prevention fields have grown, impelled in part by a seemingly growing number of inter-related mental, behavioral, and physical health problems, opportunities for contributing to these fields have expanded. As with the rest of science, public health and prevention science has increasingly become a team sport. In addition to developing programs and conducting efficacy research, areas of work now include cultural adaptation and tailoring, methodological innovation, implementation science, cost-benefit analysis, and community-based participation. However, while others may more quickly gain attention and offer solutions, the slower path of piloting, efficacy testing, and effectiveness research leads to greater health benefits in the end.