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.

Staff Spotlight: Cheryl Valko

Cheryl Valko wears a lot of hats at the PRC. As the center’s associate director, she helps guide the administration of a variety of activities, from communications to strategic planning and the reviewing of grants. And like most everyone, she’s facing the challenges of balancing home-based work with household responsibilities, including caring for her 2-year-old […]

New Text by Eyler Focuses on Public Health Research Skills

“After teaching our Research Methods course for ten years without an adequate public health-focused textbook, I decided to write one,” said Amy Eyler, associate professor at the Brown School and co-director of the Prevention Research Center.
The textbook, Research Methods for Public Health (Springer, 2020), fills a gap in methods texts to focus on skills that are particularly needed for graduate students in public health in areas such as epidemiology and biostatistics.
Learn more about all our Brown School authors: https://bit.ly/3lUe63T

Looking beyond the lamppost: population-level primary prevention of breast cancer (Links to an external site)

Insufficient attention has been paid to the primary prevention of breast cancer in state and national cancer plans, limiting the impact of evidence-based interventions on population health. This commentary highlights the state of primary prevention of breast cancer and gaps in the current literature.

Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC)-Phase 2 (Links to an external site)

Californians Linking Action with Science for Prevention of Breast Cancer (CLASP-BC) is part of California Breast Cancer Research Program’s (CBCRP) Initiative strategic priority to disseminate and implement high-impact, population-based primary prevention interventions. In its second phase, CLASP-BC will fund multi-sector, multi-jurisdictional initiatives that integrate the lessons learned from science with the lessons learned from practice and policy to reduce the risk of developing breast cancer.

Student Spotlight: Valerie Madas

Hometown: St. Louis, MO Undergraduate degree: Nursing Brown School program: MPH Anticipated graduation: May 2021 Three things you have with you at all times: Mask, phone, existential dread What are your hobbies or activities when you aren’t studying or working? Most things outside–hiking, biking, running, and even taking my cat on a “walk”. What made […]

The PRC has a big presence at this year’s IPH Conference!

The PRC’s faculty, staff, students and alumni are featured authors on 10 of the 18 posters at this year’s Institute for Public Health 13th Annual Conference Poster Session! Check out all of the posters and a short video about each poster on the IPH conference page. Be sure to tune in on Wednesday, October 28 […]

PRC Director Ross Brownson describes path forward for public health on AJPH podcast

For their November 2020 podcast, the American Journal of Public Health asks the questions, “Why is there a need to reinvent public health,” and “What should be the essential traits of the reinvented public health system?” Authors of the November issue of AJPH, including PRC Director Ross Brownson, discuss what an improved public health system […]