Current Studies

Longitudinal Examination of the Impact of Behavioral, Social, and Environmental Factors on Weight and Health Behaviors in Adolescents

This longitudinal tracking study seeks to examine predictors of weight gain, eating attitudes and behaviors, sleep, asthma symptoms and health care use in a diverse sample of youth.

Master’s and Dissertation Projects

Current

Food Insecurity and Parent Feeding Behaviors and Styles (Rachel Gonzalez)

Social functioning in young adults with Chronic Pain (Elizabeth Wolock)

Past

Impact of Weight Cues on Virtual Human Pediatric Clinical Judgment (Molly Basch) 

This study examined the influence of virtual human pediatric patient and mother weight status cues (healthy weight vs. obese) on healthcare trainee pain assessment decision-making.

Longitudinal Effects of Family-Based Behavioral Treatment of Obesity: Child and Family Characteristics that Influence Children’s Eating Attitudes and Behaviors (Manal Alabduljabbar)

The study examines whether Behavioral Family interventions for childhood obesity negatively impact children’s eating attitudes and behaviors, as well as seeks to identify predictors poorer eating attitudes and behaviors following participants in a weight management program.

Validity of Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to Assess Adherence to Glucose Monitoring in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes (Jennifer Warnick)

The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility of using mobile technology with an adolescent Type 1 Diabetes research participant population, as well as to compare self-reported blood glucose monitoring adherence data to objective blood glucose monitoring adherence data.

The Impact of Pre-surgical Dietary and Psychosocial Factors on Post-Surgical Diet in a Population of Bariatric Surgery Patients (Sarah Stromberg)

The goal of the longitudinal study is to identify pre-surgical dietary and psychological factors impacting post-surgical diet in a sample of adult patients undergoing laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Impact of Sleep Timing on Dietary Intake and Physical Activity among Youth: An Experimental N-of-1 Sleep Manipulation (Kendra Krietsch)

This single case design study will track children’s dietary intake & physical activity as part of an experimental sleep timing paradigm.  Healthy children (ages 6-11) with no diagnosed sleep, mood, or behavioral disorders will be eligible.  Dietary intake and physical activity will be tracked daily throughout the 5-week protocol in which participants are alternate (on a weekly basis) between their typical sleep schedule or a delayed sleep schedule in which they go to bed and wake up 2 hours later each day. Funding for this study is provided in part by the UF Health Shands Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship.

Objectively-Measured Adherence in Youth with Type 1 Diabetes on Multiple Daily Injections and Insulin Pump Therapy: The Role of Distress, Fear of Hypoglycemia, and Insulin Restriction
(Sarah Westen)

This study is interested in understanding factors that contribute to adolescent management of type 1 diabetes. Specifically this study will examine the roles of psychological factors (e.g., distress, fear of hypoglycemia, and unhealthy weight control behaviors) in adherence to type 1 diabetes treatment in youth ages 11-17 on intensive insulin therapy (either multiple daily injections or an insulin pump). Funding for this study is provided through the Society of Pediatric Psychology Mary Jo Kupst Trainee Grant for Research in Resilience

The impact of individual and socioenviornmental factors on health-related quality of life, health care utilization, and disease severity among adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Julia Carmody)

The goal of this longitudinal study is to identify psychosocial factors impacting HRQOL, school attendance, health care utilization, and disease severity in youth with IBD. Funding for this study is provided through the Society of Pediatric Psychology Marion and Donald Routh Student Research Award