What Is Prevention Science?
Prevention science is an interdisciplinary field focused on promoting health and well-being while reducing negative outcomes across individuals, families, and communities.
As defined in Cooper & Brown (2025), prevention science is an interdisciplinary field that studies the factors and conditions that influence health and well-being; how to prevent and reduce negative impacts; and how to promote health and well-being among individuals, families, and communities. It includes individuals with diverse training, perspectives, and theoretical orientations.
At its core, prevention science aims to:
1. Identify
Risk, promotive, and protective factors and processes related to
positive outcomes and
negative outcomes.
2. Develop
Preventive interventions
and assess their efficacy and
effectiveness.
3. Determine
Optimal means for intervention implementation, dissemination,
and scalability.
Core Assumptions, Principles, and Competencies
Central to these goals, prevention science is guided by a set of core assumptions and corresponding principles that lay the groundwork for each of the four core competency domains (Figure 1).
- Principles provide guideposts for assuring research aligns with the overarching edicts of prevention science research.
- Assumptions are proposed fundamental tenets of the field that serve as a foundation for effectively conducting prevention science research and evaluation.
- Competencies include the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable prevention scientists to effectively conduct prevention science research and evaluation (see page 11).
Citation:
Cooper, B.C., & Brown, E. C. (2025, December 5). Core competencies for Prevention Researchers. Society for Prevention Research. https://preventionresearch.org/prevention-science-journal/core-competencies-for-prevention-researchers/.
