Rachel Burns

Research Interests 

My research focuses on health behaviour change and health outcomes. I leverage theory to identify the social and cognitive processes that shape how people manage their health behaviour and examine how these processes unfold over time. This information is used to inform, implement, and/or evaluate interventions, which, in turn, provide an evidence base to inform theory. I have a particular interest in the associations between mental health, health behaviours, and health outcomes in individuals with type 2 diabetes, though my interests are not limited to this population. Currently, my work examines habits for self-management behaviour, the influence of close others on health behaviour, and the application of theory to existing health behaviour change interventions.

Selected Publications

Burns, R.J., Deschênes, S.S, Knäuper, B. & Schmitz, N. (in press). Habit strength as a moderator of the association between symptoms of poor mental health and unintentional non-adherence to oral hypoglycemic medication in adults with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Health Psychology.

Burns, R.J., Deschênes, S.S. & Schmitz, N. (2016). Associations between depressive symptoms and social support in adults with diabetes: Comparing directionality hypotheses with a longitudinal cohort. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 50, 348-357.

Howland, M., Farrell, A.K., Simpson, J.A., Rothman, A.J., Burns, R.J., Fillo, J. & Wlaschin, J. (2016). Relational effects on physical activity: A dyadic approach to the theory of planned behavior. Health Psychology, 35, 733-741.

Burns, R.J., Rothman, A.J., Fu, S.S., Lindgren, B., Vock, D. & Joseph, A.M. (2016). Longitudinal care helps struggling smokers quit by increasing cessation self-efficacy, satisfaction, and readiness to quit: A mediated moderation analysis. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 50, 58-69.

Burns, R.J., Deschênes, S.S. & Schmitz, N. (2015). Associations between coping strategies and mental health in individuals with type 2 diabetes: Prospective analyses. Health Psychology, 35, 78-86.

Burns, R.J., Rothman, A.J., Fu, S., Lindgren, B. & Joseph, A. (2014). The relation between social support and smoking: Revisiting an established measure to improve prediction. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 47, 369-375.