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CORE faculty and staff

center for obesity research and education (CORE)

Research Studies

 

Investigator:  Katherine W. Bauer, PhD, MS

 

The Effect of In-classroom Breakfast Feeding on Children’s Food Security and Participation in the School Breakfast Program

The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of implementation of the School Breakfast Program via in-classroom feeding versus cafeteria feeding on food insecure students' breakfast habits and families' food security status. Funding source: University of Kentucky Poverty Research Center Research Program on Childhood Hunger, FNS/USDA


Identifying the Impact of Maternal Dieting on Children: A Randomized Trial
This study aims to identify to the collateral effects of mothers' dieting and weight-loss efforts on child- and family-level outcomes.

 

 

Investigator:  Jennifer Fisher, PhD

 

Determinants of Young Children’s Self-served Portion Sizes

This study will determine influences on pre-school aged children’s self-served portion sizes.  A series of experiments will be used to investigate the role of visual cues, social modeling, and post-ingestive conditioning in children’s self-selected food portions.  Funding source:USDA NRI

 

Feeding Patterns, Dietary Intake, and Overweight in Minority Families with Preschoolers.

This study will investigate the influence of parental emotional expression in feeding on pre-school aged children’s dietary intake and weight status in low-income Hispanic and African American families. Funding source: USDA NRI

 

Intake Promoting Effects of Large Portions in Children

The study will evaluate the influence of large portions on the short-term regulation of intake in young children.   Specifically, the effects of portion size on children’s beverage consumption, fruit and vegetable intake, and intake of energy-dense foods will be evaluated, as well as mechanisms to which the effects are attributable. Funding source NIH/NIDDK

 

 

Investigator: Gary D. Foster, PhD

 

Sleep AHEAD (Sleep Apnea in Look AHEAD Participants) The Effects of Weight Loss on Obstructive Apnea: The Sleep Ahead Study

This is a 7 year, 4-site, NIH-funded sub-study to the Look AHEAD study, examining the effects of weight loss on obstructive sleep apnea in obese patients with type 2 diabetes. Funding souce NIH/NHLBI

 

HEALTHY 

HEALTHY is a study to assess the effects of a school based approach to preventing risk factors for type 2 diabetes amound 6-8 grade studnet in 42 schools at 7 sites across the United States.. The study is working with the middle schools to evaluate a program that changes the physical education program to keep children more active, changes the food and drink choices offered in schools to be healthier, and delivers messages and activities to encourage children to make healthier choices in what they do and what they eat. Funding source NIH/NIDDK

 

One Healthy Breakfast Study

Increasing breakfast consumption and preventing childhood obesity among low-income, ethnically diverse youth. The long-term goal of this integrated project is to prevent overweight and obesity in low-income, ethnically diverse 4th-6th graders (ages 10-12) over a 2 year period (ages 12-14).

 

Sleep AHEAD
The purpose of this study is to examine 10-year changes in weight and sleep apnea in obese patients with type 2 diabetes and to compare measures of sleep disordered breathing and sleep architecture between those with and without type 2 diabetes.

Look AHEAD: Action for Health in Diabetes

The major goal of this project is to investigate the health effects of interventions designed to produce long-term weight loss in overweight and obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Role: Co- Investigator

 

Healthy Retail Solutions

Evaluating marketing strategies to increase the purchase of healthy foods in low-income communities. We developed and evaluated the effects of marketing strategies to increase the purchase of healthy foods in two supermarkets in low-income, ethnically diverse areas in Philadelphia.


Extending Sleep in Obese Adults to Promote Weight Loss

The goal of this project was to test the efficacy of extending sleep to promote weight loss in healthy adults.

 

The Role of No-Calorie Sweetened Beverages within a Weight Loss Behavior Change Program and During Subsequent Weight Maintenance
The purpose of this study is to investigate if the amount of weight lost and maintained over a 1-yr period in a behavioral weight management program will be the same in people who drink diet beverages (with non-nutritive sweeteners [NSS]) compared to people who drink water.

 

Effects of Liraglutide in Obese Subjects with Moderate or Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A 32 week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel group, multi-centre and multinational trial: SCALE – Sleep Apnoea
The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of a liraglutide-induced weight loss on obstructive sleep apnea.

 

 

Investigator: Sharon Herring, MD, MPH

 

Preventing Postpartum Weight Retention Among Low-Income, Black Women 

The purpose of this study is to minimize postpartum weight retention among overweight or moderately obese low-income, Black mothers by developing, implementing, and then evaluating a web-based, combined pregnancy and postpartum, behavioral intervention.  Funding source: NIH/NHLBI

 

Sleep Duration and Obesity Risk Among Childbearing Women

The overall goals of this study are to: identify modifiable determinants of higher gestational weight gains, specifically focused on maternal sleep duration; examine factors that influence sleep duration in pregnancy; and assess the relationship between subjective and objective measures of maternal sleep time.  Funding source: Temple University Department of Medicine Faculty Development Award. 

 

 

Investigator: Matthew O'Brien, MD, MSc

 

Acculturation and Obesity in Latinos
This study seeks to understand the relationship between acculturation--the process by which immigrants adopt the values, behaviors, and social norms of the predominant culture--and obesity in a local Latino population. Funding source: University of Pennsylvania CTSA pilot grant.


Diabetes Prevention in Latinas
This research will identify discrete target behaviors for preventing diabetes in Latinas, the demographic group with the highest lifetime risk of developing diabetes. Qualitative and quantitative studies will inform a pilot intervention using community health workers, or promotoras, to prevent diabetes in this population.

 

 

Investigator: Robert Whitaker, MD, MPH

 

Survey of Activity Environments and Policies in Head Start

The purpose of this research is to analyze and report on data from a survey of all Head Start Programs about environments and policies related to physical activity in preschool children. Funding source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

 

Survey of Eating Environments and Policies in Head Start

The purpose of this research is to conduct a survey of all Head Start Programs about environments and polices related to healthy eating in preschool children. Funding source:  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation