Nutrition

Helping kids and parents understand, plan, purchase, and prepare healthy foods.

Publications
Resources
Faculty
Projects

Perspectives of Health Care Staff on Predictors of Success in a Food Prescription Program: A Qualitative Study

McWhoter, J. W., Aiyer, J. N., Ranjit, N., Toups, J., Liew, E., John, J. C., & Sharma, S. V. (2023). Preventing Chronic Disease, 20.

Effects of a School-Based Nutrition, Gardening, and Cooking Intervention on Metabolic Parameters in High-risk YouthA Secondary Analysis of a Cluster Randomized Clinical Trial

Davis, J. N., Landry, M. J., Vandyousefi, S., Jeans, M. R., Hudson, E. A., Hoelscher, D. M., ... & Pérez, A. (2023). JAMA Network Open, 6(1), e2250375-e2250375.

Fruit and Vegetable Shopping Behavior and Intake among Low-Income Minority Households with Elementary-Aged Children

Metoyer, B. N., Chuang, R. J., Lee, M., Markham, C., Brown, E., Almohamad, M., ... & Sharma, S. V. (2023). Children, 10(1), 82.

Reliability and Validity Estimate of the Pro-Inflammatory/Anti-Inflammatory Food Intake Score in South American Pediatric Population: SAYCARE Study

Azevedo-Garcia, L. G., Torres-Leal, F. L., Aristizabal, J. C., Berg, G., Carvalho, H. B., & De Moraes, A. C. F. (2023). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(2), 1038.

Five U.S. Dietary Patterns and Their Relationship to Land Use, Water Use, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Implications for Future Food Security

Jennings, R., Henderson, A. D., Phelps, A., Janda, K. M., & van den Berg, A. E. (2023). Nutrients, 15(1), 215.

Fruit and Vegetable Shopping Behavior and Intake among Low-Income Minority Households with Elementary-Aged Children

Metoyer, B. N., Chuang, R. J., Lee, M., Markham, C., Brown, E., Almohamad, M., ... & Sharma, S. V. (2023). Children, 10(1), 82.

Criterion validity of a short food frequency questionnaire for Mexican American adults

Heredia, N. I., Hoelscher, D. M., Vega, V., & Reininger, B. M. (2022). Nutrients, 14(23), 5075.

Who shops at their nearest grocery store? A cross-sectional exploration of disparities in geographic food access among a low-income, racially/ethnically diverse cohort in central Texas

Janda, K.M., Salvo, D., Ranjit, N. Hoelscher, D.M., Nielsen, A., et al. (2022). Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition.

Relationship between teacher fidelity to an early childhood obesity prevention program and the child care center nutrition and physical activity environment

Rana, P., Atem, F. D., Lebron, C., Sunil Mathew, M., Natale, R. A., & Messiah, S. E. (2022). Preventive medicine reports, 30, 102024.

Can food and beverage adverstising questionnaire predict overweight and obesity in children and adolescents from low- and middle- income countries?

De Moraes, A. C. F., Nascimento-Ferreira, M. V., González-Zapata, L. I., & Carvalho, H. B. (2022). Childhood Obesity.

Objective and perceived barriers and facilitators of daily fruit and vegetable consumption among under-resourced communities in Central Texas

Hollis-Hansen, K., Janda, K. M., Tiscareño, M., Filipowicz, C., & van den Berg, A. (2022). Appetite, 176, 106130.

Food Safety Attitudes, Behaviors, and Hygiene Measures among Predominantly Low-Income Parents

Carstens, C., Salazar, J., Sharma, S. V., Chan, W., & Darkoh, C. (2022). Journal of food protection, 10.4315/JFP-22-179. Advance online publication.

Effects of a school-based garden program on academic performance: A cluster randomized controlled trial

Davis, J. N., Nikah, K., Landry, M. J., Vandyousefi, S., Ghaddar, et al. (2022). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, S2212-2672(22)00931-5. Advance online publication.

Food insecurity among low-income households with children participating in a school-based fruit and vegetable co-op

Marshall, A., Chuang, R.J., Chow, J., Ranjit, N., Dave, J.M., et al. Children 2022, 9(8), 1250. Online publication.

Associations between variety of fruits and vegetables consumed, diet quality, and sociodemographic factors among 8th and 11th grade adolescents in Texas

Marshall, A. N., Ranjit, N., van den Berg, A., Gill, M., & Hoelscher, D. M. (2022). Public health nutrition, 1–25. Advance online publication.

Barriers and facilitators of implementing a clinic-integrated food prescription plus culinary medicine program in a low-income food insecure population: A qualitative study

McWhorter, J. W., Danho, M. P., LaRue, D. M., Tseng, K. C., Weston, S. R., Moore, L. S., Durand, C., Hoelscher, D. M., & Sharma, S. V. (2022). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(8), 1499–1513.

A cluster-randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of a nutrition intervention on dietary behaviors among early care and education providers: The Create Healthy Futures study

Mofleh, D., Chuang, R. J., Ranjit, N., Cox, J. N., Anthony, C., & Sharma, S. V. (2022). Preventive medicine reports, 28, 101873.

Validation of the FRESH Austin food frequency questionnaire using multiple 24-h dietary recalls

Jovanovic, C. E., Whitefield, J., Hoelscher, D. M., Chen, B., Ranjit, N., & van den Berg, A. E. (2022). 25(6), 1586–1594.

Food insecurity and health-related concerns among elementary schoolteachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

Li, F., Parthasarathy, N., Zhang, F., Chuang, R. J., Mathur, M., et al. (2022). Preventing chronic disease, 19, E27.

Training of registered dietitian nutritionists to improve culinary skills and food literacy

McWhorter, J. W., LaRue, D. M., Almohamad, M., Danho, M. P., Misra, S., et al. (2022). Journal of nutrition education and behavior, S1499-4046(22)00130-0. Advance online publication.

Examining geographic food access, food insecurity, and urbanicity among diverse, low-income participants in Austin, Texas

Janda, K. M., Ranjit, N., Salvo, D., Hoelscher, D. M., Nielsen, A., Casnovsky, J., & van den Berg, A. (2022). International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(9), 5108.

Exploring the Impact of Policies to Improve Geographic and Economic Access to Vegetables among Low-Income, Predominantly Latino Urban Residents: An Agent-Based Model

Salvo, D., Lemoine, P., Janda, K. M., Ranjit, N., Nielsen, A., & van den Berg, A. (2022). Nutrients, 14(3), 646.

Prevention of pediatric overweight and obesity: Position of the academy of nutrition and dietetics based on an umbrella review of systematic reviews

Hoelscher, D. M., Brann, L. S., O’Brien, S., Handu, D., & Rozga, M. (2022). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 122(2), 410-423.

The associations of plant- based food and metabolic syndrome using NHANES 2015-2016 data.

Jovanovic, C., Hoelscher, D. M., Chen, B., Ranjit, N., & van den Berg, A. E. (2022). Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdab403. Advance online publication.

The associations of plant-based food and metabolic syndrome using NHANES 2015-16 data

Jovanovic, C., Hoelscher, D. M., Chen, B., Ranjit, N., & van den Berg, A. E. (2022). Journal of public health (Oxford, England), fdab403. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1093/pubmed/fdab403

Harmonizing ratings from different school environment assessment methods: A simplified approach

Zhao, X., Lee, R. E., Ledoux, T. A., Hoelscher, D. M., McKenzie, T. L., & O'Connor, D. P. (2022). The Journal of school health, 92(1), 92–98.

Efficacy of various prescribed vitamin D supplementation regimens on 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels in long-term care.

Robbins, R. N., Serra, M., Ranjit, N., Hoelscher, D. M., Sweitzer, S. J., & Briley, M. E. (2022). Public health nutrition, 25(1), 82–89.

Impact of a Virtual Culinary Medicine Curriculum on Biometric Outcomes, Dietary Habits, and Related Psychosocial Factors among Patients with Diabetes Participating in a Food Prescription Program

Sharma, S.; McWhorter, J.; Chow, J.; Danho, M.; Weston, S.; Chavez, F.; Moore, L.; Almohamad, M.; Gonzalez, J.; Liew, E.; LaRue, D.; Hoelscher, D.; Galvan, E.; Tseng, K. Nutrients 2021, 13, 4492. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124492

Sociodemographic factors associated with attendance to Brighter Bites, a school-based food co-op nutrition intervention for low-income families

Rushing M., Chuang RJ., Markham C., Sharma SV. (2021) J Health Dispar Res Pract. 14(3): 73-88.

Evaluation of the Validity of a Food Frequency Questionnaire and 24-Hour Dietary Recall to Assess Dietary Iron Intake in Children and Adolescents from the South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental Study

(Collese TS, De Moraes AC, Rendo-Urteaga T, Gonzalez-Zapata LI, Gaitan-Charry DA, Delgado CA, Berg G, Torres-Leal FL, Carvalho HB. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2021. Online ahead of print. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2021.07.00.)

Correlates of Transitions in Food Insecurity Status during the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Ethnically Diverse Households in Central Texas

(Janda, K., Ranjit, N., Salvo, D., Nielsen, A., Lemoine, P., Casnovsky, J., & van den Berg, A. Food Insecurity, Neighborhood Food Environment, and Nutrition Health Disparities: State of the Science Workshop– Food Insecurity Track (Accepted - Poster Presentation) DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082597.)

Examining food insecurity and areas with unmet food needs during COVID-19: A geospatial, community-specific approach

Janda, K. M., Hood, R., Price, A., Night, S., Marty, W. E., Rohlich, A., Hanson, K., Espinoza, M., & van den Berg, A. E. (2021). Journal of agriculture, food systems, and community development, 10(3), 55–67. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.103.017

Eat Well El Paso!: Lessons Learned From a Community-Level Restaurant Initiative to Increase Availability of Healthy Options While Celebrating Local Cuisine

(Redelfs AH, Leos JD, Mata H, Ruiz SL, Whigham LD. Eat Well El Paso! American Journal of Health Promotion (in press, accepted Jan 2021).DOI: 10.1177/0890117121999184.)

School-based gardening, cooking and nutrition intervention increased vegetable intake but did not reduce BMI: Texas Sprouts - a cluster randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Davis, J.N., Pérez, A., Asigbee, F.M., Landry, M.J., Vandyousefi, S., Ghaddar, R., Hoover, A., Jeans, M., Nikah, K., Fischer, B., Pont, S.J., Richards, D., Hoelscher, D.M., Van den Berg, A.E. (2021) School-based gardening, cooking and nutrition intervention increased vegetable intake but did not reduce BMI: Texas Sprouts - a cluster randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Jan 23;18(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s12966-021-01087-x. [PMC7825209]

Factors related to poor diet quality in food insecure populations

Ranjit, N., Macias, S., & Hoelscher, D. (2020). Translational behavioral medicine, 10(6), 1297–1305.

Long-term impact of a school-based nutrition intervention on home nutrition environment and family fruit and vegetable intake: A two-year follow-up study

Marshall A.*, Markham C, Ranjit N, Bounds G, Chow J, Sharma SV. Preventive Medicine Reports. Available online 18 November 2020, 101247

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Nutrition and Dietary Intervention for Early Care and Education Providers

Chuang RJ, Cox J, Sharma SV. A pilot randomized controlled trial of a nutrition knowledge and dietary habits intervention targeting Early Care and Education providers. J. of School Health. 21 September, 2020. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/josh.12951

A scoping review of the operationalization of fruit and vegetable variety

Marshall, A. N., van den Berg, A., Ranjit, N., & Hoelscher, D. M. (2020). Nutrients, 12(9), 2868.

Culinary dentistry: A novel framework to incorporate nutrition into dental education

McWhorter, J. W., Moore, L. S., Hoelscher, D. M., & Sharma, S. V. (2020). Journal of dental education, 10.1002/jdd.12376. Advance online publication.

Resistance Training in Post-Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Patients: a Systematic Review

(Morales-Marroquin E, Kohl III HW, Knell G, de la Cruz-Munoz N, Messiah SE. (In press: Obesity Surgery). DOI:: 10.1007/s11695-020-04837-1.)

TX Sprouts: A School-Based Cluster Randomized Gardening, Nutrition, and Cooking Intervention: Effects on Obesity, Blood Pressure and Diet

(Davis, J.N., Nikah, K., Asigbee, F.M.,Landry, M.J., Vandyousefi, S., Hoover, A., Jeans, M., Pont, S.J., Hoelscher, D.M., Van den Berg, A.E., Fischer, B., Pérez, A. (2020) Current Developments in Nutrition. 3(S2):1296 [PMID: forthcoming]]. https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzaa059_013)

Regional variations in medical trainee diet and nutrition counseling competencies: Machine learning-augmented propensity score analysis of a prospective multi-site cohort study

Patnaik, A., Tran, J., McWhorter, J. W., Burks, H., Ngo, A., Nguyen, T. D., et al. (2020). Medical science educator, 30(2), 911–915.

Coaction between physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake in racially diverse, obese adults

Heredia, N. I., Fernandez, M. E., van den Berg, A. E., Durand, C. P., Kohl, H. W., et al. (2020). American journal of health promotion : AJHP, 34(3), 238–246.

Impact of a Pilot School-Based Nutrition Intervention on Fruit and Vegetable Waste at School Lunches

Sharma, S., Marshall, A., Chow, J., Ranjit, N., Bounds, G., et al. (2019). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 51(10), 1202-1210.

Occupationally Tailored, Web-Based, Nutrition and Physical Activity Program for Firefighters: Cluster Randomized Trial and Weight Outcome

Day, R. S., Jahnke, S. A., Haddock, C. K., Kaipust, C. M., Jitnarin, N., et al. (2019). Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 61(10), 841–848.

Design and participant characteristics of TX sprouts: A school-based cluster randomized gardening, nutrition, and cooking intervention

Davis, J., Nikah, K., Asigbee, F. M., Landry, M. J., Vandyousefi, S., et al. (2019). Contemporary clinical trials, 85, 105834.

A pilot food prescription program promotes produce intake and decreases food insecurity

Aiyer, J. N., Raber, M., Bello, R. S., Brewster, A., Caballero, E., Chennisi, C., et al. (2019). Translational behavioral medicine, 9(5), 922–930.

Child-Report of Food Insecurity Is Associated with Diet Quality in Children

Landry, M. J., van den Berg, A. E., Asigbee, F. M., Vandyousefi, S., Ghaddar, R., et al. (2019). Nutrients, 11(7), 1574.

Validity and Reliability of an Expanded Vegetable Questionnaire Among Elementary School Children

Landry, M. J., Ranjit, N., Hoelscher, D. M., Asigbee, F. M., Vandyousefi, S., et al. (2019). Current developments in nutrition, 3(8), nzz080.

Design and evaluation of a coalition-led obesity initiative to promote healthy eating and physical activity in low-income, ethnically diverse communities: the Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin initiative

van den Berg, A., Nielsen, A., Akhavan, N., Llanes Pulido, C., Basu, S., et al. (2019). Archives of Public Health, 77(25).

Parental and peer social support is associated with healthier physical activity behaviors in adolescents: a cross-sectional analysis of Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (TX SPAN) data.

Haidar A, Ranjit N, Archer N, Hoelscher DM (2019). BMC Public Health. 19(1):640. doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-7001-0.

A Comparison of Mean-Based and Quantile Regression Methods for Analyzing Self-Report Dietary Intake Data

Vidoni, M. L., Reininger, B. M., & Lee, M. (2019). Journal of Probability and Statistics, 2019.

The Nourish Program: An innovative model for cooking, gardening and clinical care skill enhancement for dietetics students.

McWhorter, J. W., Raber, M., Sharma, S. V., Moore, L. S., & Hoelscher, D. M. (2019). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 119(2), 199–203.

Interventions targeting diet quality of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants: A scoping review

Verghese, A., Raber, M., & Sharma, S. (2019). Preventive medicine, 119, 77–86.

Association between Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Symptoms of Mental Health Conditions in Mexican Americans

Wu, S., Fisher-Hoch, S. P., Reininger, B. M., & McCormick, J. B. (2018). Health psychology : official journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 37(11), 1059–1066.

Serial circulating omega-3 polyunsaturated-fatty acids and healthy ageing in older adults: Cardiovascular Health Study

Lai, H. T., de Oliveira Otto, M. C., Lemaitre, R. N., McKnight, B., Song, X., et al. (2018). BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 363, k4067.

Steady state hydration levels of career firefighters in a large, population-based sample

Suminski, R. R., Poston, W., Day, R. S., Jitnarin, N., Haddock, C. K., et al. (2019). Journal of occupational and environmental medicine, 61(1), 47–50.

The Nourish Program: An innovative model for cooking, gardening and clinical care skill enhancement for dietetics students

McWhorter, J. W., Raber, M., Sharma, S. V., Moore, L. S., & Hoelscher, D. M. (2019). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 119(2), 199–203.

Impact of the Coordinated Approach to Child Health Early Childhood Program for Obesity Prevention among Preschool Children: The Texas Childhood Obesity Research Demonstration Study

Sharma, S. V., Vandewater, E., Chuang, R. J., Byrd-Williams, C., Kelder, S., et al. (2019). Childhood obesity (Print), 15(1), 1–13.

Dietary Interventions and Type 2 Diabetes in Youth: a Fresh Look at the Evidence

Perkison, W. B., Adekanye, J. A., & de Oliveira Otto, M. C. (2018). Current nutrition reports, 7(4), 227–234.

Behavior Modification of Diet and Parent Feeding Practices in a Community- Vs Primary Care-Centered Intervention for Childhood Obesity

Wilson, T. A., Liu, Y., Adolph, A. L., Sacher, P. M., Barlow, S. E., et al. (2019). Journal of nutrition education and behavior, 51(2), 150–161.e1.

Dietary Diversity: Implications for Obesity Prevention in Adult Populations: A Science Advisory From the American Heart Association

de Oliveira Otto, M. C., Anderson, C., Dearborn, J. L., Ferranti, E. P., Mozaffarian, D., et al. (2018). Circulation, 138(11), e160–e168.

Serial Measures of Circulating Biomarkers of Dairy Fat and Total and Cause-specific Mortality in Older Adults: the Cardiovascular Health Study

de Oliveira Otto, M. C., Lemaitre, R. N., Song, X., King, I. B., Siscovick, D. S., et al. (2018). The American journal of clinical nutrition, 108(3), 476–484.

Dietary intake, attitudes toward healthy food, and dental pain in low-income youth

Nicksic, N. E., Massie, A. W., Byrd-Williams, C. E., Kelder, S. H., Sharma, S. V., et al. (2018). JDR clinical and translational research, 3(3), 279–287.

Pilot Evaluation of HEAL - A Natural Experiment to Promote Obesity Prevention Behaviors Among Low-Income Pregnant Women

Sharma, S. V., Chuang, R. J., Byrd-Williams, C., Danho, M., Upadhyaya, M., et al. (2018). Preventive medicine reports, 10, 254–262.

Designing Place-Based interventions for Sustainability and Replicability: the Case of Go! Austin/Vamos! Austin

Hussaini, A., Pulido, C. L., Basu, S., & Ranjit, N. (2018). Frontiers in public health, 6, 88.

Best practices and barriers to obesity prevention in Head Start: Baseline differences in director and teacher perceptions from the TX CORD Study

Byrd-Williams, C., Dooley, E. E., Sharma, S. V., Chuang, R. J., Butte, N., et al. (2017). Preventing chronic disease, 14, E139.

Contribution of Beverage Selection to the Dietary Quality of the Packed Lunches Eaten by Preschool-Aged Children

Romo-Palafox, M. J., Ranjit, N., Sweitzer, S. J., Roberts-Gray, C., Byrd-Williams, et al. (2018). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118(8), 1417–1424.

Structuring Process Evaluation to Forecast Use and Sustainability of an Intervention: Theory and Data From the Efficacy Trial for Lunch Is in the Bag

Roberts-Gray, C., Sweitzer, S. J., Ranjit, N., Potratz, C., Rood, M., et al. (2017). Health Education & Behavior, 44(4), 559-569.

Self-reported use of nutrition labels to make food choices is associated with healthier dietary behaviours in adolescents

Haidar, A., Carey, F. R., Ranjit, N., Archer, N., & Hoelscher, D. (2017). Public health nutrition, 20(13), 2329-2339.

Examining the impact of a school-based fruit and vegetable co-op in the Hispanic community through documentary photography

Alcazar, L., Raber, M., Lopez, K., Markham, C., & Sharma, S. (2017). Appetite, 116, 115–122.

Vitamin B12 and homocysteine associations with gait speed in older adults: The Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging

Vidoni, M. L., Pettee Gabriel, K., Luo, S. T., Simonsick, E. M., & Day, R. S. (2017). The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 21(10), 1321–1328.

Weight loss advice and prospective weight change among overweight firefighters

Brown, A. L., Poston, W. S., Jahnke, S. A., Keith Haddock, C., Luo, S., et al. (2016). International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, 22(3), 233-239.

Alcohol use and caloric intake from alcohol in a national cohort of US career firefighters

Haddock, C. K., Day, R. S., Poston, W. S., Jahnke, S. A., & Jitnarin, N. (2015). Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs, 76(3), 360–366.

Lessons learned from the implementation of Brighter Bites: a food co-op to increase access to fruits and vegetables and nutrition education among low-income children and their families

Sharma, S. V., Chow, J., Pomeroy, M., Raber, M., Salako, D., et al. (2017). The Journal of school health, 87(4), 286–295.

Adequacy of Parent-Packed Lunches and Preschooler's Consumption Compared to Dietary Reference Intake Recommendations

Romo-Palafox, M. J., Ranjit, N., Sweitzer, S. J., Roberts-Gray, C., Byrd-Williams, C. E., et al. (2017). Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 36(3), 169-176.

U.S. Military Service and the Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome: Findings From a Cross-Sectional Analysis of the Cooper Center Longitudinal Study, 1979-2013

Janak, J. C., Pérez, A., Alamgir, H., Orman, J. A., Cooper, S. P., et al. (2017). Preventive medicine, 95, 52–58.

Healthy eating patterns associated with acculturation, sex, and BMI among Mexican Americans

Reininger, B., Lee, M., Jennings, R., Evans, A., & Vidoni, M. (2017). Public health nutrition, 20(7), 1267-1278.

Brighter Sights: Using Photovoice for a process evaluation of a food co-op style nutrition intervention

Raber, M. P., Lopez, K. K., Pomeroy, M., Mody, A., Markham, C., et al. (2016). Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice, 9(3), 2.

Evaluating a school-based fruit and vegetable co-op in low-income children: a quasi-experimental study

Sharma, S. V., Markham, C., Chow, J., Ranjit, N., Pomeroy, M., et al. (2016). Preventive medicine, 91, 8–17.

Perceived stress and dietary choices: The moderating role of stress management

Errisuriz, V. L., Pasch, K. E., & Perry, C. L. (2016). Eating behaviors, 22, 211–216.

Impact of school-based vegetable garden and physical activity coordinated health interventions on weight status and weight-related behaviors of ethnically diverse, low-income students: Study design and baseline data of the Texas, Grow! Eat! Go!

(Evans A, Ranjit N, Hoelscher D, Jovanovic C, Lopez M, McIntosh A, Ory M, Whittlesey L, McKyer L, Kirk A, Smith C, Walton C, Heredia N, Warren J; BMC Public Health; 2016)

Evaluating a school-based fruit and vegetable co-op in low-income children: a quasi-experimental study

(Sharma, S. V., Markham, C., Chow, J., Ranjit, N., Pomeroy, M., & Raber, M; Preventive Medicine; 2016)

Previous gardening experience and gardening enjoyment is related to vegetable preferences and consumption among low-income elementary school children

(Evans A, Ranjit N, Fair CN, Jennings R, Warren JL; J Nutr Educ Behav; 2016)

Effects of Saturated Fat, Polyunsaturated Fat, Monounsaturated Fat, and Carbohydrate on Glucose-Insulin Homeostasis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomised Controlled Feeding Trials

(Imamura F, Micha R, Wu JH, de Oliveira Otto MC, Otite FO, Abioye AI, Mozaffarian D; 2016)

The Impact of Dietary and Metabolic Risk Factors on Cardiovascular Diseases and Type 2 Diabetes Mortality in Brazil

(de Oliveira Otto MC, Afshin A, Micha R, Khatibzadeh S, Fahimi S, Singh G, Danaei G, Sichieri R, Monteiro CA, Louzada ML, Ezzati M, Mozaffarian D; Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Metabolic Risk Factors of Chronic Diseases Expert Group; Nutrition and Chronic Diseases Expert Group (NutriCoDE); 2016)

Association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and human papillomavirus cervicovaginal infection in women in the United States: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2003-2006

(Shim J, Pérez A, Symanski E, Nyitray AG; The Journal of Infectious Diseases; 2016)

Everything in Moderation--Dietary Diversity and Quality, Central Obesity and Risk of Diabetes

(de Oliveira Otto MC, Padhye NS, Bertoni AG, Jacobs DR Jr, Mozaffarian D;PLoS One; 2015)

Insights and Perspectives on Dietary Modifications to Reduce the Risk of Cardiovascular Disease

(Baer DJ, Rice Bradley BH, Kris-Etherton P, Mente A, de Oliveira Otto M; Adv Nutr; 2014)

Evaluating the influence of the revised special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants, and children (WIC) food allocation package on healthy food availability, accessibility, and affordability in Texas

(Lu W, McKyer EL, Dowdy D, Evans A, Ory M, Hoelscher DM, Wang S, Miao J; Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; 2016)

Efficacy of the Lunch Is in the Bag Intervention to Increase Parents' Packing of Healthy Bag Lunches for Young Children: A Cluster-Randomized Trial in Early Care and Education Centers

(Roberts-Gray C, Briley M, Ranjit N, Byrd-Williams C, Sweitzer SJ, Sharma SV, Romo-Palafox M, Hoelscher DM; International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity; 2016)

Effects of Funding Allocation for Safe Routes to School Programs on Active Commuting to School and Related Behavioral, Knowledge, and Psychosocial Outcomes: Results From the Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation (T-COPPE) Study

(Hoelscher DM, Ory MG, Dowdy D, Miao J, Atteberry H, Nichols D, Evans A, Menendez T, Lee C, & Wang S; Environment & Behavior; 2016)

A Contextual Look at Safe Routes to School Implementation in Texas

(Atteberry H, Dowdy D, Oluyomi A, Nichols D, Ory MG, & Hoelscher DM; Environment & Behavior; 2016)

Using Family-Focused Garden, Nutrition, and Physical Activity Programs To Reduce Childhood Obesity: The Texas! Go! Eat! Grow! Pilot Study

(Spears-Lanoix EC, McKyer EL, Evans A, McIntosh WA, Ory M, Whittlesey L, Kirk A, Hoelscher DM, Warren JL; Childhood Obesity, 2015)

Effectiveness of the Lunch Is in the Bag Program on Communication Between the Parent, Child and Child-Care Provider Around Fruits, Vegetables and Whole Grain Foods: A Group-Randomized Controlled Trial

(Sharma SV, Rashid T, Ranjit N, Byrd-Williams C, Chuang RJ, Roberts-Gray C, Briley M, Sweitzer S, Hoelscher DM; Preventive Medicine; 2015)

Dietary quality of preschooler's sack lunches as measured by the Healthy Eating Index

Romo-Palafox MJ, Ranjit N, Sweitzer SJ, Roberts-Gray C, Hoelscher DM, Byrd-Williams CE, Briley ME; Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics; 2015)

Farm to Work: Development of a modified community-supported agriculture model at worksites, 2007-2012

(Thi C, Horton KD, Loyo JJ, Jowers EM, Rodgers LF, Smiley AW, Leversen E, Hoelscher DM; Preventing Chronic Disease; 2015)

Accelerometer-determined sedentary behavior and dietary quality among U.S. adults

(Shuval K, Nguyen BT, Yaroch AL, Drope J, Gabriel KP; Preventive Medicine; 2015)

Feasibility and Acceptability of Brighter Bites: A Food Co-Op in Schools to Increase Access, Continuity and Education of Fruits and Vegetables Among Low-Income Populations

(Sharma S, Helfman L, Albus K, Pomeroy M, Chuang RJ, Markham C; Journal of Primary Prevention; 2015)

Development of a method to observe preschoolers' packed lunches in early care and education centers

(Sweitzer SJ, Byrd-Williams CE, Ranjit N, Romo-Palafox MJ, Briley ME, Roberts-Gray CR, Hoelscher DM; Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Nutrition and Dietetics; 2015)

A Multi-dimensional Evaluation of the Houston Food Bank’s Food Prescription Program

5/25/2023 - In this report, we present the results from our comprehensive, multi-dimensional real-world investigation of a Food Rx program implemented by the Houston Food Bank (HFB) in collaboration with multiple HCPs across the Greater Houston region.

Evaluation of the Houston Food Bank's Food Prescription (Rx) Program: Program Effectiveness

5/25/2023 - This study used data from 2,028 patients enrolled by sixteen HCPs during May 2018 to March 2021. About half of the enrolled patients (n=1072, 52%) visited any food pantry during the period for which data were available. The average number of visits among patients who did visit a food pantry was 6.

Child Breakfast Consumption in Texas 2022

2/9/22 - Healthy Children, Healthy State. A one-pager on the child breakfast consumption crisis in Texas from the Texas Child Health Status Report Project using 2019-2020 SPAN data.

Child Sugar-Sweetened Drinks Consumption 2021

11/04/21 - Healthy Children, Healthy State. A one-pager on the child sugar-sweetened drink crisis in Texas from the Texas Child Health Status Report Project using 2019-2020 SPAN data.

Child Eating Away From Home Report 2021

10/19/21 - Healthy Children, Healthy State. A one-pager on the child eating away from home crisis in Texas from the Texas Child Health Status Report Project using 2019-2020 SPAN data.

2019-2020 Texas SPAN Survey Overview

8/30/21 - View the 2019-2020 Texas SPAN Survey results overview.

Child Nutrition Crisis in Texas 2021

6/3/21 - Healthy Children, Healthy State. A one-pager on the child nutrition crisis in Texas from the Texas Child Health Status Report Project using 2019-2020 SPAN data.

Child Obesity Crisis in Texas 2021

5/19/21 - Healthy Children, Healthy State. A one-pager on the child obesity crisis in Texas from the Texas Child Health Status Report Project using 2019-2020 SPAN data.

COVID-19 Food Needs In Travis County 2-1-1 Call Analysis Report - November

1/13/2020 - In early April 2020, the City of Austin Office of Sustainability reached out to Dell Medical School and UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin for assistance in identifying areas where there are unmet food needs in Austin pertaining to COVID-19. This work expands on that report and analyzes November 2020 data.

2019 Healthy Food Access Initiative Evaluation Annual Report

10/19/2020 - The Healthy Food Access Initiative Evaluation study assessed the impact of the Access Initiative on fruit and vegetable purchasing and consumption behaviors of community residents living in low-income areas of Austin.

COVID-19 Food Needs In Travis County 2-1-1 Call Analysis Report - August

10/12/2020 - In early April 2020, the City of Austin Office of Sustainability reached out to Dell Medical School and UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin for assistance in identifying areas where there are unmet food needs in Austin pertaining to COVID-19. This work expands on that report and analyzes August 2020 data.

COVID-19 Food Needs In Travis County 2-1-1 Call Analysis Report - July

9/28/2020 - In early April 2020, the City of Austin Office of Sustainability reached out to Dell Medical School and UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin for assistance in identifying areas where there are unmet food needs in Austin pertaining to COVID-19. This work expands on that report and analyzes July 2020 data.

COVID-19 Food Needs In Travis County 2-1-1 Call Analysis Report - June

9/8/2020 - In early April 2020, the City of Austin Office of Sustainability reached out to Dell Medical School and UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin for assistance in identifying areas where there are unmet food needs in Austin pertaining to COVID-19. This work expands on that report and analyzes June 2020 data.

COVID-19 Food Needs In Travis County 2-1-1 Call Analysis Report - May

8/12/2020 - In early April 2020, the City of Austin Office of Sustainability reached out to Dell Medical School and UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin for assistance in identifying areas where there are unmet food needs in Austin pertaining to COVID-19. This work expands on that report and analyzes May 2020 data.

COVID-19 Food Needs In Travis County 2-1-1 Call Analysis Summary Report - March/April

7/8/2020 - In early April 2020, the City of Austin Office of Sustainability reached out to Dell Medical School and UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin for assistance in identifying areas where there are unmet food needs in Austin pertaining to COVID-19.

Project Summary and Update: Assessing Community Food Needs in Response to COVID-19

7/8/2020 - The project provides an analysis of United Way/2-1-1 call data performed by UT-SPH professor Dr. Alexandra van den Berg and her graduate assistant, Kathryn Janda.

Child Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption

Mobile Market Interview Report 2019

6/27/19 - Access to healthy food is seen as a key determinant for addressing food insecurity. One innovative strategy to improving access to healthy food is by strategically placing mobile markets in under-served communities. The UTHealth School of Public Health team conducted qualitative interviews with groups implementing mobile markets to better understand how they conduct their operations, marketing, community feedback, and evaluation.

Healthy Summer Challenge 2019

6/20/19 - Encourage your kids to take the Healthy Summer Challenge! These calendars are filled with physical activity and nutrition challenges to keep your kids healthy over the break.

Child Nutrition Crisis in Texas

Nourish Program: Fall 2018 Lunch & Learn Recipes

3/28/19 - Cooking techniques and recipes from the Nourish Program, including knife skills, roasting vegetables, and salad dressings.

Healthy Living Challenge

9/18/18 - Encourage your kids to take the Healthy Living Challenge! These calendars are filled with physical activity and nutrition challenges to keep your kiddos healthy year-round.

Desafío de vida saludable

9/18/18 - Anime a sus hijos a tomar el Desafío de vida saludable. Estos calendarios están llenos de desafíos de nutrición y actividad física para mantener a sus hijos saludables durante el año.

Healthy Summer Challenge

5/18/18 - Encourage your kids to take the Healthy Summer Challenge! These calendars are filled with physical activity and nutrition challenges to keep your kiddos healthy over the break.

Desafío de verano saludable

5/18/18 - Anime a sus hijos a tomar el Desafío de verano saludable. Estos calendarios están llenos de desafíos de nutrición y actividad física para mantener a sus hijos saludables durante el descanso.

Desafío de desechos alimenticios

3/15/18 - Este folleto brinda consejos para ayudar a eliminar el desperdicio de alimentos.

Healthy Meeting Guide

3/1/18 - This fact sheet gives tips on how you can have healthy and active meetings at your business or organization.

¿Que Puedo Empacar En El Almuerzo De Mi Hijo?

2/12/18 - Mezcla y combina los grupos de alimentos de MiPlato. Imaginar en grupos de alimentos ayuda a asegurar que su hijo(a) reciba los nutrientes que e?l o ella necesita.

What Can I Pack In My Child's Lunch?

2/12/18 - Mix & match from MyPlate Food Groups. Thinking about lunched in food groups helps ensure your child gets the nutrients he or she needs.

Obesidad Infantil en Texas

9/20/17 - Las tasas de obesidad infantil y las estadísticas sobre los comportamientos de salud relacionados con la obesidad a partir de los resultados de la encuesta SPAN 2015-2016.

Child Obesity in Texas

9/20/17 - Child obesity rates and statistics on obesity-related health behaviors from the 2015-2016 SPAN Survey results.

2015-2016 SPAN Fact Sheets

9/19/17 - Download detailed 2015-2016 SPAN Survey results, sorted into one-page fact sheets by grade (2nd, 4th, 8th, and 11th) and Health Service Region.

Nutrition and Exercise for Mental Wellness

Nutrition: 6 to 24 Months

Being a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite

1/10/17 - This infographic shows the benefits of Being a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite. Learn what it means to be a Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite, and how you can become one. Being Texas Mother-Friendly is good business sense!

Food at School Parties

9/15/15 - What one YEAR of school party food really looks like.

Comida en las Fiestas Escolares

9/15/2015 - La realidad de las fiestas escolares en un año.

Asegúrate de que todos los Tejanos reciban un Diez en Alimentación Saludable!

7/28/15 - Esta infografía muestra cómo el entorno de compra de alimentos tiene una gran influencia en qué alimentos las familias compran y consumen, y sus resultados de salud posteriores.

Make Sure All Texans Get A’s in Healthy Eating!

7/28/15 - This infographic shows how the food shopping environment has a strong influence on what foods families ultimately buy and consume, and their subsequent health outcomes.

The Science of Childhood Obesity: An Individual to Societal Framework

GO, SLOW, WHOA Flowchart

4/1/15 - Follow this flowchart to learn how to make healthier food choices—try to eat more GO foods than SLOW foods, and eat WHOA foods in very small amounts.

GO, SLOW, WHOA Diagrama de Flujo

4/1/15 - Sigue el camino para aprender cómo elegir alimentos más saludables—trata de comer más alimentos GO que alimentos SLOW, y come alimentos WHOA en pequeñas cantidades.

Center Research Spotlight - Nutrition

Child Obesity in Texas infographic

9/1/14 - Child obesity rates and statistics on obesity-related health behaviors from the 2009-2011 SPAN Survey.

Child Obesity in Texas infographic (One-Page Printable)

SPAN Survey Fact Sheets

Health Fits Into Every Day Infographic

8/31/14 - Health Fits Into Every Day: Tie in all of the CATCH "Health Fits Into Every Day" tip sheets with this infographic.

Health Fits into Every Day: Healthy Snacking Tip Sheet

8/30/14 - Learn about healthy "GO" snacks that help kids maintain energy and focus during the day.

Haga que La Salud Forme Parte de Todos Sus Días: Botanas

8/30/14 - Conozca las botanas saludables "GO" que ayudan a los niños a mantener la energía y concentrarse durante el día.

Haga que La Salud Forme Parte de Todos Sus Días: Desayuno

8/30/14 - Aquí hay consejos sobre cómo comer un desayuno saludable todos los días.

Health Fits into Every Day: Water Tip Sheet

8/30/14 - Here are some tips on how to fit water into every day.

Haga que La Salud Forme Parte de Todos Sus Días: Beber Agua

8/30/14 - Aquí hay algunos consejos sobre cómo colocar agua en todos los días.

Health Fits into Every Day: Healthy Breakfast Tip Sheet

8/30/14 - Here are tips on how to eat a healthy breakfast every day.

Active Meeting Guide

Activity Break Guide

11/1/13 - Got that “2:30" feeling? Don’t reach for a sugary energy drink–try these activity breaks to re-energize your body and mind!

Entrenamiento Para Medir Alturas y Pesos

Healthy Meeting Guide

Activating Employers (PDF)

Making Healthy Food and Beverages Available Everywhere (PDF)

5/1/12 - The foods and beverages that surround us make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight. Making healthy foods and beverages the routine, readily available, and affordable option, along with decreasing unhealthy food and beverage options, will improve our chances to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Source: Institute of Medicine

CATCH in IOM report on Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention

5/1/12 - This excerpt from the 2012 Institute of Medicine report on Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention discusses the evidence base for the CATCH program.

Accelerating Progress in Obesity Prevention (2012)

Nutrition & Cancer

Stay Healthy-Eat Smart

9/1/10 - GO, SLOW and WHOA foods to help you stay healthy eat smart.

The Grocery Gap: Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why it Matters (2010)

Eat Smart with CATCH

"Eat Smart" con CATCH

Escuelas Primarias de AISD y el Programa CATCH

4/1/10 - Aprenda sobre los componentes clave del programa de la escuela primaria CATCH con este folleto.

CATCH Healthy Habits at Home

4/1/10 - This handout contains simple steps that will add up to a big difference in your family’s health. Be a CATCH MVP and select one or two new habits that are best suited for you and your family!

CATCH Your Students At Their Best

4/1/10 - This flyer for parents includes healthy tips from the CATCH program.

Your Elementary School and the CATCH Program

4/1/10 - Learn about the key components of the CATCH elementary school program with this handout.

Niños sanos aprenden mejor!

4/1/10 - Este volante para padres incluye consejos saludables del programa CATCH.

Hábitos Sanos De CATCH En El Hogar

4/1/10 - Este folleto contiene pasos simples que se sumarán a una gran diferencia en la salud de su familia.

National Nutrition Month 2015 Flyer

Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, LD, CNS, FISBNPA
John P. McGovern Professor in Health Promotion and Austin Regional Dean, Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences
Director, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living

Dorothy Mandell, PhD
Associate Professor, Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences

Courtney Byrd-Williams, PhD
Assistant Professor, Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences

Nalini Ranjit, PhD
Associate Professor, Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences

Brighter Bites

This project is a collaborative effort to impact eating behavior among predominantly low-income families by introducing them to a routine distribution of fresh produce and corresponding education, ultimately to curb the childhood obesity epidemic.

CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health)

CATCH is a research-based program designed to guide schools, families and children in healthy eating and physical activity.

CATCH Healthy Smiles

CATCH Healthy Smiles teaches students why toothbrushing, flossing, dentist visits, and healthy food and drink choice are important to oral health. Students will learn and practice the skills necessary to maintain healthy smiles.

CO-CREATE

The CO-CREATE study aims to prevent overweight and obesity in adolescents by providing knowledge and infrastructure on policies to support making the healthiest choices the preferred ones.

Digital Physical Activity and Diet (dPAD) Collaborative

The Digital Physical Activity and Diet (dPAD) Collaborative’s goal is to bring together researchers who are interested in addressing obesity, diet, and physical activity through technology-based research.

ENRICH (Encouraging Nurturing Responsiveness to Improve Child Health)

ENRICH stands for Encouraging Nurturing Responsiveness to Improve Child Health. This research project works to help parents establish healthy eating, activity, bedtime, and screen time routines.

FRESH AUSTIN

Food Retail: Evaluating Strategies for a Healthy Austin (FRESH-AUSTIN) aims to further evaluation of the City of Austin's Healthy Food Access Initiative, and increase understanding of the complexities within a community food system.

Fresh for Less Healthy Food Access Evaluation

Funded by Austin Public Health (APH), this project assesses Austin's multifaceted healthy food access initiative to enhance prioritization and refinement of efforts by APH.

Lunch is in the Bag

The purpose of this intervention is to encourage parents to increase the availability of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in sack lunches for their preschool children in childcare centers. The goal for this research is the development of new strategies for the promotion of healthy eating practices in children through childcare centers.

Nourishing the Community Through Culinary Medicine

Nourishing the Community Through Culinary Medicine is a study to pilot test a virtual culinary medicine program with adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study is to see how well synchronous but virtual hands-on healthy cooking classes work to help patients with diabetes improve cooking skills, change eating habits and control diabetes. All materials for this project, including our toolkit and recorded classes are available on the Nourish website.

Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial

The Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial is a pilot study to evaluate a teaching kitchen-based lifestyle intervention as part of a randomized controlled Multisite Trial with adults with clinically defined obesity and one additional metabolic syndrome component.