Past Research

This study will inform physical activity interventions for Hispanic and Latina mothers, who are among the least physically active and at high risk of poor cardiometabolic health, to decrease cardiometabolic risk factors, inform best practice, and advocate for policy changes to enhance the health of undeserved communities.

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People with mobility impairments (PMI) are disproportionately affected by diet-related health-compromising conditions such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and some cancers compared to those without mobility impairments. PMI anecdotally report numerous barriers in the physical and social environment that lead to poor dietary habits; however, currently, there is no clear guiding model or specific instrument to operationalize barriers and environmental factors that impact dietary habits in PMI. This study will aim to address this gap by using a comprehensive, theoretically and consumer-guided, ecological and dynamic approach to identifying ecologic factors that contribute to dietary habits in PMI.

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This study will identify predatory beverage allocation behaviors used by men to facilitate women’s intoxication and elucidate the decision-making process across a night of drinking that culminates in a man having sex with a woman who is too intoxicated to consent or passed out (i.e., incapacitated rape). This research can inform the advancement of nuanced and targeted prevention, intervention and risk reduction programming to reduce incapacitated rape on our college campuses.

The aim of this research is to conduct an international study with prevention scientists and professionals from 12 different nations. The study will examine international similarities and differences in approaches to the dissemination and implementation of preventive care interventions. Results of this pilot study will aid in understanding worldwide variations in the "culture of prevention." The long-term goal of this research is to identify best policies and practices for the dissemination and implementation of efficacious prevention and health promotion interventions. 

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To establish advanced non-invasive imaging techniques including ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging to understand obesity-related liver disease phenotypes in Arizona Latinos.

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Early detection and prevention of disease can improve health outcomes and decrease healthcare costs. This research will use a metabolic tracking device with pregnant women to promote adequate gestational weight gain. The results of this project will be used to inform how clinical patient monitoring data can be effectively managed and utilized through the use of wearable devices.

Community partners (St. Vincent de Paul Family Wellness Program and Lincoln Family YMCA) and SIRC  tested the efficacy of a  culturally-grounded diabetes prevention intervention, Every Little Step Counts (ELSC) for obese Latino adolescents from 2012-2017. This NIMHD award includes a five-year continuation study, Follow-up of a Culturally-Grounded Diabetes Prevention Program for Obese Latino Adolescents, led by Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (CHPDP) director Dr. Gabe Shaibi. The study will describe long-term health trajectories Latino adolescents following completion of ELSC and examine how family, home, and neighborhood factors are associated with individual diabetes risk profiles over time. The ELSC intervention focuses on sustaining healthy behavior changes through nutrition and fitness classes delivered to obese Latino adolescents and their families.

The goal of this project is to conduct a proposed Integrative Mixed Methods study on culturally-relevant approaches for promoting effective diabetes management among elder Latino and Latina patients with type 2 diabetes.

With increasing costs of cancer treatment, financial hardship is a growing challenge for patients, their families, and healthcare providers. Aims are: (1) To understand the stakeholder (non-physician healthcare provider and patient/ caregiver) perspective regarding the need for interventions for financial distress and preferred mode of delivery, and (2) To develop and validate a psycho-educational intervention to address financial distress due to cancer treatment.

This research will examine the ability of a mind-body intervention, Meditative Movement, to stimulate oxytocin production in older adults and potentially decrease their risk for cardiovascular disease. 

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