Student Spotlight: Julia Liu

Hometown: Portland, Oregon Undergraduate school and major/minor: Triple Major in Health Sciences, Community Development, and Social Science in International Economics. Minor in Psychology and Chemistry Program at Brown: MPH Graduation date: May 2021 Three things you have with you at all times: Hydroflask, Hand sanitizer, and Allegra-D What are your hobbies or activities when you […]

PACT webinar 5/18

The PACT Study team is hosting a partner engagement webinar, Building and Sustaining Productive Partnerships during COVID-19 and Beyond, on Tuesday, May 18 from 11:00am – 12:30pm Central Time. This webinar will be led by Martha Fedorowicz and Isabella Remor of the Research to Action Lab at the Urban Institute. Please see the attached flyer […]

Student Spotlight: Sarah Kang

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA Undergraduate University and Major: Wesleyan University – Double major in Molecular Biology & Biochemistry, Science in Society Program Minor in East Asian Studies Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Three things you have with you at all times: Phone, Keys, Costco Membership card What are your hobbies or activities when you aren’t […]

Implementation strategies to improve statin utilization in individuals with hypercholesterolemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis (Links to an external site)

Numerous implementation strategies to improve utilization of statins in patients with hypercholesterolemia have been utilized, with varying degrees of success. The aim of this systematic review is to determine the state of evidence of implementation strategies on the uptake of statins.

Universal School Meals and Associations with Student Participation, Attendance, Academic Performance, Diet Quality, Food Security, and Body Mass Index: A Systematic Review (Links to an external site)

This systematic review evaluates studies examining the association between universal free school meals and students’ school meal participation rates, diets, attendance, academic performance, and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as school finances.

Capacity for childhood obesity research in Latin American and US Latino populations: State of the field, challenges, opportunities, and future directions (Links to an external site)

The objectives of this study are to determine research productivity in Latin America and in the United States focused on Latino populations and examine domains of research capacity (research infrastructure, training programs, mentoring, funding, and networks).

Built environment in programs to promote physical activity among Latino children and youth living in the United States and in Latin America (Links to an external site)

This paper aims to advance the research agenda of BE and PA for obesity prevention in Latin America and among Latino youth in the United States by (1) identifying environmental indicators to inform the design of interventions and policy, (2) identifying interdisciplinary methodological approaches for the study of the complex association between BE and PA, and (3) presenting case studies of PA-promoting BE programs.

Ebuwa ‘Ria Evbuoma accepted into the 2021 Clinton Global Initiative University

Ebuwa’s initiative works to improve health and education outcomes of child farmworkers in Illinois using a systematic review and mixed methods research. They aim to increase knowledge about the impact of agricultural hazards, find access to healthcare, ensure equitable pay, and see that the educational rights of the child workers are adhered to.

Evaluation of a multidisciplinary lipid clinic to improve the care of individuals with severe lipid conditions: a RE-AIM framework analysis (Links to an external site)

Completed a program evaluation of the first year of a newly implemented MDLC utilizing the RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework. Despite limited reach and adoption of the MDLC, a large intervention effect included improved diagnosis, increased prescribing of guideline-recommended treatments, and clinically significant reduction of lipid levels.

Development of a Health Information Technology Tool for Behavior Change to Address Obesity and Prevent Chronic Disease Among Adolescents: Designing for Dissemination and Sustainment Using the ORBIT Model (Links to an external site)

The ORBIT model stands for Obesity-Related Behavioral Intervention Trials. This article reports the application of the ORBIT model to (1) describe the characteristics and design of a novel HIT tool (the PREVENT tool) using behavioral theory, (2) illustrate the use of stakeholder-centered “designing for dissemination and sustainability” principles, and (3) discuss the practical implications and directions for future research.

Staff Spotlight: Maggie Padek Kalman

As an undergraduate, Maggie Padek majored in history and considered going to law school. But she wound up as a grad student at the Brown School, first in social work and then in public health. Her change of heart wound up being a good thing for the PRC, where she is now a center manager. […]

The Relationships Between State Health Department Practitioners’ Perceptions of Organizational Supports and Evidence-Based Decision-Making Skills (Links to an external site)

Evidence-based decision making (EBDM) allows public health practitioners to implement effective programs and policies fitting the preferences of their communities. To engage in EBDM, practitioners must have skills themselves, their agencies must engage in administrative evidence-based practices (A-EBPs), and leaders must encourage the use of EBDM. This longitudinal study to quantifies perceptions of individual EBDM skills and A-EBPs, as well as the longitudinal associations between the two.

Six-Minute Walking Test Performance Relates to Neurocognitive Abilities in Preschoolers (Links to an external site)

This study investigated the relationship between six-minute walking test (6MWT) distance walked and preschool-aged children’s academic abilities, and behavioral and event-related potentials (ERP) indices of cognitive control. The findings indicate that the positive influence of cardio-respiratory fitness on cognitive function is evident in 4-6-year-olds.

PRC awarded grant to help St. Louisans, Missourians at high risk for COVID-19. (Links to an external site)

Diana Parra Perez has been awarded a grant to develop programs to address high-risk populations for COVID-19 in St. Louis. The Center in St. Louis will work with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in the Building Resilient Inclusive Communities (BRIC) program to boost existing efforts of partners and communities with a focus on health equity in nutrition security, access to safe physical activity and social connectedness.

Patterns and correlates of mis-implementation in state chronic disease public health practice in the United States (Links to an external site)

State-level public health practitioners are in ideal positions to affect programs and policies related to chronic disease, but the extent to which mis-implementation occurring with these programs is largely unknown. Mis-implementation refers to ending effective programs and policies prematurely or continuing ineffective ones. This study found that greater attention to mis-implementation should lead to greater use of effective interventions and more efficient expenditure of resources, ultimately to improve health outcomes.

Student Spotlight: Fatemeh Naghiloo

Hometown: Hidaj, Iran Undergraduate Major/Minor: Architecture Program at Brown: MPH Anticipated Graduation Date: May 2021 Three things you have with you at all times: Phone, credit card, a mug filled with hot tea Hobbies/Activities: Walking, cooking, hanging out with friends, video chatting with family, and traveling What first made you interested in studying Public Health? […]

McDonnell Academy Supports COVID-19-Related Research (Links to an external site)

To help address the international social, economic and public health ramifications of the outbreak, the McDonnell International Scholars Academy recently awarded $250,000 in seed grants to kick-start research projects led by Washington University faculty members and their international collaborators.

Three Brown School faculty members were among the awardees: Professor Rodrigo Reis, Assistant Professor Deborah Salvo, and Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Shanti K. Khinduka Distinguished Professor.

Building the Next Generation of Researchers: Mentored Training in Dissemination and Implementation Science (Links to an external site)

Dissemination and implementation (D&I) science provides the tools needed to close the gap between known intervention strategies and their effective application. The authors report on the Mentored Training for Dissemination and Implementation Research in Cancer (MT-DIRC) program-a D&I training program for postdoctoral or early-career cancer prevention and control scholars.

Barriers to Aging in Place for Rural, Institutionalized Older Adults: A Qualitative Exploration (Links to an external site)

The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the experiences of rural older adults who live in Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) and thus have not aged in place. By retrospectively analyzing their pre-institution care situation, we aim to generate foundational knowledge on the barriers to aging in place in rural settings.

Raising Well at Home: a pre-post feasibility study of a lifestyle intervention for caregivers and their child with obesity (Links to an external site)

The purpose of this pilot study was to test the feasibility and efficacy of a tailored lifestyle intervention for caregivers and their children with obesity, conducted in partnership with Envolve, Inc., a family of comprehensive health solutions and wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation.

Walking School Bus Programs: Implementation Factors, Implementation Outcomes, and Student Outcomes, 2017-2018 (Links to an external site)

Walking school bus programs increase children’s physical activity through active travel to school; however, research to inform large-scale implementation of such programs is limited. An investigation of contextual factors, implementation outcomes, and student outcomes in existing walking school bus programs in the United States and internationally was conducted.

Strategies for effective dissemination of research to United States policymakers: a systematic review (Links to an external site)

Research has the potential to influence US social policy; however, existing research in this area lacks a coherent message. The Model for Dissemination of Research provides a framework through which to synthesize lessons learned from research to date on the process of translating research to US policymakers.

Evaluating the implementation of the SWITCH® school wellness intervention and capacity-building process through multiple methods (Links to an external site)

School wellness programming is important for promoting healthy lifestyles and academic achievement in youth; however, research is needed on methods that can help schools implement and sustain such programs on their own. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors within and outside the school environment that influenced school capacity for implementation and potential sustainability of wellness programming.