Integrating human behaviour and epidemiological modelling: unlocking the remaining challenges

Hill, Edward M.; Ryan, Matthew; Haw, David; Lynch, Mark P.; McCabe, Ruth; Milne, Alice E.; Turner, Matthew S.; Vedhara, Kavita; Zeng, Fanqi; Barons, Martine J.; Nixon, Emily J.; Parnell, Stephen; Bolton, Kirsty J.

Abstract

This paper is part of a special issue on Behavioural Epidemiology.

Historically, responses to health-related emergencies (whether public health, veterinary health or plant health related) have exposed the deficiencies of mathematical models to incorporate data-driven and/or theoretical knowledge on outbreak behavioural dynamics. Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital to improve realism in methodological approaches to considering behavioural dynamics in an unfolding situation. We must bring together novel ideas across the behavioural, biological, data and mathematical sciences. The purpose of our article is threefold. We first present our perspective on the vital role of interdisciplinary collaboration to enable the effective integration of the dynamics of human behaviour and epidemiological models – we refer to such integrated models as “epidemiological-behavioural” models. We then summarise issues to be resolved by interdisciplinary teams of experts within four contemporary epidemiological-behavioural modelling challenge areas that we consider to require immediate and sustained research attention: understanding of human behaviour; data; modelling methodologies and parameterisation; how modelling (and communication of its findings) affects behaviour. Lastly, to serve as a resource for research scientists, practitioners and policy makers interested in getting involved in tackling these epidemiological-behavioural modelling challenges, we pose recommendations to make progress in each of the challenge areas and our viewpoint on their potential societal benefits if enacted.

Citation

Hill, E. M., Ryan, M., Haw, D., Lynch, M. P., McCabe, R., Milne, A. E., Turner, M. S., Vedhara, K., Zeng, F., Barons, M. J., Nixon, E. J., Parnell, S., & Bolton, K. J. (2024). Integrating human behaviour and epidemiological modelling: unlocking the remaining challenges. Mathematics in Medical and Life Sciences, 1(1), Article 2429479. https://doi.org/10.1080/29937574.2024.2429479

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 4, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Nov 29, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024
• Deposit Date: Nov 7, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 3, 2024
• Journal: Mathematics in Medical and Life Sciences
• Electronic ISSN: 2993-7574
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 1
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 2429479
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/29937574.2024.2429479
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/41552500
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/29937574.2024.2429479#
• Additional Information: Peer Review Statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope.; Aim & Scope: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=tmls20; Received: 2024-07-31; Revised: 2024-10-10; Accepted: 2024-11-04; Published: 2024-11-29