Adjunct Assistant Professor
Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics
Email: aibehar@sdsu.edu
Download CV (docx)
Education
- PhD – Public Health (Global Health), Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health between the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University (2022)
- MPH – Epidemiology, San Diego State University (2015)
- BA – Spanish, University of San Diego (2004)
Scholarly Areas
- Health disparities among underserved populations
- Behavioral and social determinants of health
- Survey development, cultural adaptation and validation
- Development, implementation and evaluation of health promotion programs
- Youth physical activity
- Promotion of health behaviors through social networks
- Global health
Biography
Alma Behar is an instructor in the MPH program in the School of Public Health (SPH) at San Diego State University (SDSU). Dr. Behar is a bilingual and bicultural researcher with nearly 20 years of professional experience and has participated in numerous research projects focused predominantly on Latino populations. Her professional research experience includes work on community-based scientific studies addressing health disparities and the prevention of chronic diseases among low-income populations in the U.S. and abroad. This work has covered areas that include childhood and adolescent health (physical activity, sexual and reproductive health), obesity prevention, and chronic and communicable disease prevention.
Dr. Behar is a Research Scientist at the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH) where she is actively involved in several studies in collaboration with Dr. Noe Crespo that involve the promotion of physical activity and fitness among Latino families in U.S.-Mexico border regions. The primary focus of her research involves the identification of behavioral and socio-environmental risk factors for obesity and obesity-related health problems that place low-income, racial/ethnic minority youth at greater risk of disease (e.g., physical activity, sedentary behavior, social support, neighborhood walkability). Dr. Behar is specifically interested in the measurement of youth physical activity and sedentary behavior, and in the design and implementation of health studies that use mobile technology to promote increased physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviors in low-income and racial/ethnic minority youth.
Publications
A list of Ms. Behar’s published work can be found here.
