The Behavior Change Consortium: setting the stage for a new century of health behavior-change research

The Behavior Change Consortium (BCC), a collective of 15 National Institutes of Health-funded behavior-change projects, was conceived with the goal of evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of novel ways of intervening in diverse populations to reduce tobacco dependence, and improve physical activity, nutrition and other health behaviors. The purpose of this article is to provide a general introduction and context to this theme issue by: (1) reviewing the promises and challenges of past efforts related to promoting change for three key health behaviors; (2) reviewing successful intervention strategies and principles of health behavior change; (3) discussing major theoretical approaches for obtaining successful behavior change; (4) setting BCC activities within the context of recent recommendations for the behavioral and social sciences; and (5) providing an organizational framework for describing each of the projects within this consortium. In addition to the rich database on behavioral outcomes for tobacco dependence, physical activity and diet, the BCC represents a unique opportunity to share data and address cross-cutting intervention research issues critical for strengthening the field of behavior change research.