Students excel at promoting child, family health

Promoting student research regarding child and family health is an important component of the center. This summer, student members and students working with center members had tremendous success with competitive poster and oral presentations at scientific conferences.

Nursing PhD student Christie Martin presented two posters at the annual meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA) in Prague, Czech Republic regarding recruitment strategies for diabetes prevention in community settings (D2D study; Fulkerson PI) and preliminary CBPR outcomes of the East Side Table Make-at-Home Meal-Kit program (Horning PI). Martin also presented as part of a symposium on international considerations of food insecurity and weight with colleagues from Finland and Australia at the ISBNPA conference. Earlier in May, Martin presented a poster on the development of websites for behavioral interventions (NU-HOME study; Fulkerson PI) at the school’s Research Day.

Masters of Public Health student Yazmin Cespedes presented a poster at the ISBNPA conference regarding food neophobia in school-aged youth (NU-HOME study), which was named a runner-up for best student poster. She also presented at the School’s Nursing Research Day. Several kinesiology students (primary mentor Barr-Anderson, co-investigator) presented NU-HOME study findings at local and national conferences.

Kinesiology PhD student Eydie Kramer received second place in the President’s Cup at the annual Northland American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conference for her work comparing parent perceptions of physical activity environments with Graphic Information System data among rural families. This placement allowed her to compete for the President’s Cup at the national ACSM conference.

Brooke Wagner, also a kinesiology PhD student, presented a poster on child sports participation and fast food family meals at the ACSM conference. Kinesiology undergraduates Amanda Schmid (correlates and comparisons of parent and child physical activity) and Sean Vercellone (family characteristics and children’s weight status in a rural sample) presented their first research posters at the annual Kinesiology Research Day.