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Health Behaviors

Blog
Taiwan, Gun Violence, Fishing in the Arctic: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the potential for a Chinese attack on Taiwan, America's persistent gun violence problem, managing Arctic fisheries, and more.
Jul 7, 2023
Journal Article
Understanding the Rise in Overdose Deaths Involving Opioids and Non-Opioid Prescription Drugs in the United States
This paper studies how the reformulation of OxyContin led to the rise of polysubstance overdose deaths involving non-opioid prescription drugs.
Jul 7, 2023
Journal Article
Trends in Overdose Deaths Involving Gabapentinoids and Z-drugs in the United States
This paper studies trends in deaths in the United States for 1999-2020 involving gabapentinoids/Z-drugs and opioid co-involvement. These trends were studied overall and by sex, race, age, and education.
Jul 7, 2023
Periodical
RAND Review: July-August 2023
Features explore ways to address the opioid crisis with a whole-systems approach and how truth decay — the diminishing role of facts and analysis in public life — is putting U.S. national security at risk.
Jul 5, 2023
Essay
A Promising New Program Treats Co-Occurring Mental Health and Opioid Use Disorders
People who have an opioid use disorder and either clinical depression or PTSD are hard to reach, hard to treat, and hard to hold onto. A new collaborative care model called CLARO aims to help patients who otherwise might disappear into the cracks of the U.S. health care system.
Jul 3, 2023
Essay
America's Opioid Crisis: Adopting an Ecosystem Approach
The opioid crisis is metastasizing throughout society, reaching across public health and public safety, but also education, employment, and the child welfare system. Without profound change and new approaches to the crisis, hundreds of thousands of people could die in the coming years.
Jun 30, 2023
Report
Novel Methods to Assess the Military's Evolving Prevention Capabilities: Development and Pilot Test of the On-Site Installation Evaluation Process
This report describes the development, pilot test, and validity testing of a set of prevention capability metrics to improve the deterrence of sexual assault, sexual harassment, suicide, and domestic violence among military service members.
Jun 28, 2023
Journal Article
Impact of Recreational Cannabis Legalization on Opioid Prescribing and Opioid-Related Hospital Visits in Colorado: An Observational Study
Our mixed findings suggest that further increases in cannabis beyond medical access may not always reduce opioid prescribing or opioid-related hospital visits at a population level.
Jun 27, 2023
Journal Article
Cultural Dynamics, Substance Use, and Resilience Among American Indian/Alaska Native Emerging Adults in Urban Areas
We conducted 13 focus groups with urban AI/AN emerging adults, parents, and providers. We found risks of substance use from cultural isolation and that culture provided a source of strength and resilience for urban AI/AN emerging adults.
Jun 27, 2023
Journal Article
Longitudinal Effects of Social Network Changes on Drinking Outcomes for Individuals with a First-Time DUI
Individuals with a first DUI were surveyed about pre- and post-DUI social networks. Participants reduced risky network members and increased supportive network members. Reducing drinking partners was associated with improved drinking outcomes.
Jun 27, 2023
Blog
Teacher Well-Being, Russian PMCs, AI Conspiracy Theories: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on how America's teachers are doing, the proliferation of Russian private military companies, preparing for conspiracy theories about artificial intelligence, and more.
Jun 23, 2023
Journal Article
Traditions and Connections for Urban Native Americans (TACUNA): Utilizing Community-Based Input to Develop an Opioid Prevention Intervention for Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Emerging Adults
Very few opioid prevention programs exist for urban Native American emerging adults. Community participation enhances opioid prevention programs for urban Native Americans. Engaging in Native American traditional practices promotes healthy behaviors.
Jun 21, 2023
Journal Article
Integrating Traditional Practices and Social Network Visualization to Prevent Substance Use: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial Among Urban Native American Emerging Adults
A community-informed and culturally grounded opioid prevention intervention can be developed for urban AI/AN emerging adults and can help to build resilience and hopefully decrease opioid use among this underserved population.
Jun 21, 2023
Journal Article
Adolescents' Contraceptive Use with School-Discordant Partners: Exploring Individual- and Relationship-Level Characteristics
Characteristics of romantic relationships and contraceptive use were examined among 1,043 female and 961 male Add Health respondents. Females (but not males) were less likely to use condom with partners not from their schools or older partners.
Jun 20, 2023
Journal Article
Risk and Protective Factors of Social Networks on Alcohol, Cannabis, and Opioid Use Among Urban American Indian/Alaska Native Emerging Adults
A higher proportion of network members engaging in traditional practices but not heavy substance use was associated with lower intentions to use cannabis or drink alcohol. Traditional practices may be an important part of prevention.
Jun 16, 2023
Journal Article
Social Networks of Clients in First-Time DUI Programs
Individuals convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) having networks with more substance use individuals had greater substance use and drinking and driving behaviors. Network support was associated with lower drinking and driving.
Jun 15, 2023
Multimedia
Geographic Availability of Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Veterans
Testimony presented before the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs on June 14, 2023.
Jun 14, 2023
Journal Article
State Policy and the Breadth of Buprenorphine-Prescriber Networks in Medicaid Managed Care
Researchers used a diff-in-diff approach to compare three Medicaid Managed Care networks for buprenorphine providers across specialties and market segments within the same state.
Jun 14, 2023
Journal Article
Prevalence of Buprenorphine Providers Requiring Cash Payment From Insured Women Seeking Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Researchers used an audit (simulated patient) study methodology to examine appointment-granting behavior by buprenorphine prescribers in ten different U.S. states.
Jun 14, 2023
Testimony
Geographic Availability of Substance Use Disorder Treatment for Veterans
Far too many Americans, and especially veterans, fail to receive treatment for substance use disorder. Improved data collection on the availability and accessibility of treatment could help increase the number of veterans who get treatment and prevent unnecessary drug overdose deaths.
Jun 14, 2023

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RAND Topic:
Health Behaviors

Topic Synonyms:
Health Behaviour

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Samantha Matthews

Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND

Samantha Matthews (she/her) is a Ph.D. student in the Community-Partnered Policy and Action stream at the Pardee RAND Graduate School and an assistant policy researcher at RAND. Her research is focused on behavioral health, suicide prevention, homelessness, and criminal justice. At RAND, she has…
David P. Kennedy

Senior Behavioral / Social Scientist

David Kennedy is a senior social and behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation. He was trained as a medical anthropologist and has conducted research on the intersection of culture, social networks, and health.

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