Behavioral and social sciences at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Critical disciplines for public health.

The mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Fifty years ago, CDC's efforts were focused on epidemiologic and laboratory studies of malaria, typhus, and plague. Today, CDC's activities cover a broad range of diseases and conditions, and a broader range of disciplines are required to address these diverse public health problems. The behavioral and social sciences have a critical role to play in helping the public understand risk group characteristics and the frequency, context, and determinants of risky behaviors and in developing, implementing, and assessing prevention programs. CDC is taking steps to foster an environment in which behavioral and social sciences can flourish and to integrate these sciences into all of CDC's prevention activities. Other articles in this section describe the breath and nature of the contributions of behavioral and social sciences at CDC.