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Youth Health Behavior Research Lab


HOP'N research and programs are a product of the Youth Health Behavior Research Lab, Department of Kinesiology, Kansas State University.  Dr. David Dzewaltowski is Director of the YHBRL and Professor and Department Head. 

The Youth Health Behavior Research Laboratory  aims to identify media, environmental, behavioral, and psychosocial influences on physical activity and healthful eating in children. Laboratory research teams draw on this information to develop and evaluate community based programs to prevent obesity.

Dr. Dzewaltowski mentors students interested in a research or practice in public health physical activity and healthful eating across childhood and adolescence. Faculty, staff, and students working in the laboratroy adopt a behavioral epidemiology approach that includes four phrases.


    1. Develop measures of physical activity and nutrition
    2. Identify influences on physial activity and nutrition 
    3. Evaluate interventions to change behavior
    3. Translate research to practice.

While all phases of behavioral epidemiology are examined, current studies are focused on the big pictre question of whether the impact of media and environmental influences on helath behavior can be buffered by building skills, proxy efficacy, and practice of adults and children to develop healthful behavior settings. Targeted adults include parents and leaders of youth development settings. Targeted children include preschool age (3-5 year olds), elementary school age, and adolescents. Targeted setting include childcare, schools, after-school programs and clubs, and homes.

The laboratory has had significant funding for research on physical activity and healthful eating in children for over 10 years from agencies such as NIH, USDA, Sunflower Foundation, and the Health Fund. The 750 square foot laboratory performs data input, data management, and data analysis functions. For data collection, the Lab has several measurement (accelerometers, pedometers), data processing (high speed optical scanner and Teleform survey software) and data analysis (SAS, SPSS, HML, EQS) tools. The laboratory includes several graduate student workstations, a data input workstation, meeting are, and secure data storage room. The Youth Health Behavior Research Laboratory is also supported by the K-State motor pool for community based data collection and intervention.

HOP'N  Research Team

Dzewaltowski, David
Karen Coleman
Greg Welk
Ric Rosenkranz, Ph.D.
Karly Geller, Ph.D.
Tanis Hastmann, MPH

 


HOP'N  Club Curriculum Authors


David A. Dzewaltowski
Ric Rosenkranz, Ph.D.
Karly Geller, Ph.D.
Tanis Hastmann, MPH
Carrie Mershon