Paul Branscum
Links
Courses Taught
- KNH 218 Applied Health Behavior Change
- KNH 262 Public Health Education
- KNH 462/562 Public Health Program Planning and Evaluation
- KNH 611 Behavioral Approaches to Health Promotion and Education
Research Interests
As a health promotion and public health scholar, my mission is to enhance the quality of life of individuals in the communities surrounding us, so that we can all live healthy and prosperous lives. This is best achieved through systematic planning, implementation and evaluation of public health programs, which is the common thread that describes my teaching, research and service activities. My research mainly focuses on predicting and changing obesogenic health behaviors using theory-based approaches. Such research is critical for planning public health programs, because it helps inform decisions for practice by identifying modifiable targets for health behavior change. Additionally, my research has focused on implementing, and evaluating public health interventions by utilizing process and impact evaluations. I believe both of these issues are vital in understanding the efficacy and effectiveness of our public health programs, and will ultimately help us answer questions about interventions such as: What works? When does it work? And with whom does it work best?
Specific areas of interest for my research include:
- Predicting and changing obesogenic health behaviors among children, parents and young adults
- Childhood Obesity Prevention
- Nutrition
- Theories and Techniques of Behavior Change
- Measurement issues related to Attitudes, Perceived Norms, and Perceived Behavioral Control
- Instrument/Survey Development and Validation
Recent Publications
Books
- Sharma, M., & Branscum, P. (2020). Introduction to community and public health. (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. [1st edition: 2014; Sold over 1,500 copies] ISBN# 978-1-1184-1055-4.
- Sharma, M., & Branscum, P. (2021). Foundations of mental health promotion. (2nd ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones and Bartlett. [1st edition: 2013; Sold over 1,200 copies] ISBN# 978-128-41-99758.
Articles in Peer-reviewed Journals
- Branscum, P., & Keysor, P. (in press). Classifying parenting practices for sugary drink consumption using the behavior change wheel: translating theory to organize research and practice. Health Promotion Practice.
- Branscum, P., & Gresla, A. (2023). Measuring barriers of behavior change: How to better operationalize psychosocial constructs of control. Journal of Community Psychology, 51(4), 1622-1633.
- Branscum, P., Rush-Griffith, S., Hackman, C., Castle, A., & Katague, M. (2023). The role of moral norms as a determinant of intentions to engage in bystander intervention to prevent sexual assault. Journal of Community Psychology, 51(1), 334-344.
- Miller, B., & Branscum, P. (2023). Evaluating the association between artificial sweetener intake and indicators of stress and anxiety. Community Health Equity Research & Policy, 43(3), 339-342.
- Speed, S., Ward, R. M. Budd, K., Branscum, P., Barrios, V., & Miljkovic, K. (2023). Drunkorexia and alcohol included blackouts among college students: an exploratory study. Alcohol, 110(2023), 51-56.
- Branscum, P. (2022). A perspective on the Motivation to Comply social norms construct. Health Behavior Research, 5(2), 1-13.
- Branson, O., Geller, K., & Branscum, P. (2022). Reasoned action approach to analyze differences in athletes’ physical activity behaviors during COVID-19. Health Behavior Research, 5(3), 1-7.
- Hackman, C. L., Branscum, P., Rush-Griffin, S. E., Castle, A., & Hagadorn, E. (2022). Gender differences in bystander intervention intentions to prevent sexual assault: a reasoned action approach. Journal of School Violence, 21(3), 237-251.
- Hackman, C., Rush-Griffin, S., Branscum, P., Castle, A., & Katague, M. (2022). Development and validation of an instrument measuring determinants of bystander intervention to prevent sexual assault: an application of the reasoned action approach. Health Behavior Research, 5(1).
- Schisler, E. D., Branscum, P., Buckley, L., McCann, R., Richardson, E., Luzuis, A., & Dobbs, P, D. (2022). A reasoned action approach to pregnant smokers’ intention to switch to e-cigarettes: does educational attainment influence theory application? Health Behavior Research, 5(3), 1-17.
- Smith, P., Ward, R. M., Bartoszek, L., & Branscum, P. (2022). College students’ use patterns of electronic nicotine delivery systems and other substances in the U.S. Journal of American College Health, 70(6), 1882–1888.
- Sorcher, J., & Branscum, P. (2022). Behaviour change techniques used in binge drinking interventions among university students: a systematic review. Alcoholism Treatment Quarterly, 40(3), 322–337.
- Speed, S., Branscum, P., & Gresla, A. (2022). Comparing predictors of intentions for physical activity participation between normal and overweight military spouses. American Journal of Health Education, 53(4), 248–255.
- Speed, S., Ward, R. M., Haus, L., Branscum, P., Budd, K. M., Barrios, V., Lemons, K., & Humenay, H. (2022). A systematic review of common drunkorexia measures: Examining gender differences across scales. American Journal of Health Education, 53(5), 342-359.
- Bhochhibhoya, A., Branscum, P., Thapaliya, R., Sharma-Ghimire, P., & Wharton, H. (2021). Applying the health belief model for investigating the impact of political affiliation on COVID-19 Vaccine uptake. American Journal of Health Education, 52(5), 241-250.
- Branscum, P., Williams, D., & Rhodes, R. E. (2021). Are current elicitation techniques for barriers and enablers confounded with motivation? how natural language may hinder theory-guided research. British Journal of Health Psychology, 26(3), 839-860.
- Dobbs, P. D., Branscum, P., Cohn, A., Tackett, A., & Comiford, A. (2021). Pregnant smokers’ intention to switch from using cigarettes to e-cigarettes: an application of the reasoned action approach. Women's Health Issues, 31(6), 540-549.
- Dobbs, P. D., Branscum, P., Hammig, B., Jozkowski, K., Henry, L. J., Lo, W., Gorman, D., Luzius, A. (2021). College students’ underlying beliefs about using e-cigarettes: an application of the reasoned action approach. Addiction Research & Theory, 29(4), 286-297.
- McGaughey, A., Andres, V., Sartor, J., Saidi Fairchild, G., Heinrich, K. M., & Branscum, P. (2021). Aerobic physical activity participation and correlates of participating in muscle strengthening physical activity: a cross-sectional analysis. Health Behavior Research, 4(1), 1-15.
- McGaughey, A., Senkowski, V., & Branscum, P. (2021). Advanced care planning information and public institutions of higher education. American Journal of Health Studies, 36(1), 11-30. 10.47779/ajhs.2021.635.
- Miller, M. E., Nicely, S., & Branscum, P. (2021). Challenges and best practices in BMI screening in Head Start: one program's perceptions. NHSA Dialog, 24(1), 37-46.
- Smith, P., & Branscum, P. (2021). Feasibility, utility, and limitations of a rapid community behavioral diagnosis for social distancing during the 2020-coronavirus pandemic. American Journal of Health Promotion, 35(1), 77-83.
Fellowships
Awarded Fellow status for the American Academy of Health Behavior - 2019
Awarded Fellow status for the Society of Behavioral Medicine - 2021
Recent Grants
Myaamia Nipwaayoni: Tribal Knowledge as a Source of Well-Being and Revitalization in Indigenous Communities. (2022-2025). Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, $472,397.00
Role: Co-Investigator (PI: Daryl Baldwin; Co-PI: Haley Shea).
Joyce Barnes Farmer Distinguished Guest Professorship grant for funds to support a visit from Dr. James Prochaska to Miami University (2020), funded by Miami University, College of Education, Health and Society, $10,000.00.
Role: Principal Investigator.
Grant for funds to support the project Developing and validating an instrument to evaluate behavioral antecedents tailored to the Full Plate Living Weight Loss Program (2018-2020), funded by the Ardmore Institute of Health, $49,852.00.
Role: Principal Investigator.
Research Seed Grant for funds to support the project Examining E-Cigarette Use in College Students (2018-2019), funded by Miami University, College of Education, Health and Society, $5000.00.
Role: Co-Investigator.
Grant for funds to support the project Using a taxonomy of behavior change techniques to map the FullPlate program (2017-2018), funded by the Ardmore Institute of Health, $17,000.00.
Role: Principal Investigator.
Summer Research grant for funds to support the project Value-Laden Multipliers of Normative Beliefs in Value Expectancy Models: An Exploration of Best Practices for Evaluation Across Multiple Health Behaviors (2017-2018), funded by Miami University, College of Education, Health and Society, $6000.00.
Role: Principal Investigator.
Joyce Barnes Farmer Distinguished Guest Professorship grant for funds to support a visit from Dr. Icek Ajzen to Miami University to give the workshop Working with the Theory of Planned Behavior (2017), funded by Miami University, College of Education, Health and Society, $4900.00.
Role: Principal Investigator.
Editorships
Editor-in Chief: Health Behavior Research Editorial Board Membership: Journal of Behavioral Medicine and Health Education Journal