Jiwoo Lee, PhD, RN, PHN

Dr. Lee is an assistant professor in the School of Nursing, and a Fellow in the Obesity Health Disparities PRIDE (OHD PRIDE) program at the University of Houston Population Health Collaboratory on Research Training and Mentoring. Additionally, Dr. Lee teaches courses, advises students, and mentors undergraduate research assistants, providing guidance on research tasks and academic development.

Dr. Lee's research is focused on nutrition security among children in low-income households. In collaboration with community partners, her team is assessing the effectiveness of community-based nutrition assistance programs during vulnerable periods (summer and weekends) when nutrition insecurity is more prevalent. The aim is to ensure these programs have a meaningful impact on children's nutrition and identify avenues for integrating obesity prevention strategies. This research holds promise for promoting healthier eating habits and weight in children from disadvantaged backgrounds and reducing weight-related health disparities.

• Nutrition security and health equity
• Childhood obesity prevention interventions
• Program evaluation
• Community-engaged research

• Three Minute Thesis Competition: 3rd Place, Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research & Minnesota Clinical and Translational Science Institute, 2022
• Eileen Vinnes Kalow Fellowship in Children’s Health, School of Nursing, 2016
• Sophia Award, School of Nursing, 2013
• Academic Excellence Award, School of Nursing, Seoul National University, 2006

• MN study: Lower-income kids eat more sugar in summer, WXPR, 2019
• Summer weekends are hungry times for food-insecure kids, study finds, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2019

• Midwest Nursing Research Society
• International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Nutrition
• American Public Health Association

Lee, J., Harnack, L. J., Torkilsen, L., Bauer, R., Freese, R. L., Yip, W., Fram, M. S., & Frongillo, E. A. (2024). Weekend backpack program tailored for ethnic and dietary food preferences: Nutrition quality, program usage, and parent satisfaction. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 56(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2024.10.002

Lee, J., Austin, R. R., Mathiason, M. A., & Monsen, K. A. (2023). Prioritizing nutrition interventions for low-income clients receiving public health nurses' home visiting services: a latent class analysis study of Omaha System data. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association: JAMIA, 30(11), 1794–1800. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocad079

Elgersma, K. M., Martin, C. L., Friend, S., Lee, J., Horning, M. L., & Fulkerson, J. A. (2023). Food insecurity and parent feeding practices in urban and rural children ages 7-12 years. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 55(2), 105–113. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2022.08.014 

Lee, J., Friend, S., Horning, M. L., Linde, J. A., Flattum, C., Lindberg, R., & Fulkerson, J. A. (2022). Are patterns of family evening meal practices associated with child and parent diet quality and weight-related outcomes? Appetite, 171, 105937. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2022.105937

Tripicchio, G. L., Kubik, M. Y., Lee, J., & Fisher, J. O. (2022). More-to-less home healthful foods ratio is associated with diet quality in preadolescents with elevated body mass index. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54(10), 939-946. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.04.212.

Lee, J., Kubik, M. Y., Fulkerson, J. A. (2021). Missed work among caregivers of children with a high body mass index: Child, parent, and household characteristics. The Journal of School Nursing, 37(5), 396-403. doi: https://doi.org/10.1177/1059840519875506 PubMed ID: 31514567

Lee, J., Kubik , M. Y., Fulkerson , J. A. (2021). Fruit and vegetable snack consumption among children with a body mass index at or above the 75th percentile. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(7), 619-624. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.02.001

Kubik, M. Y., Lee, J., Fulkerson, J. A., Gurvich, O. V., & Sirard, J. R. (2021). School-based secondary obesity prevention for eight- to twelve-year-olds: Results from the Students, Nurses, and Parents Seeking Healthy Options Together randomized trial. Childhood Obesity, 17(3), 185-198. doi: 10.1089/chi.2020.0321

Lee, J., Kubik, M. Y., Fulkerson, J. A., Kohli, N., Garwick, A. E. (2020). The identification of family social environment typologies using latent class analysis: Implications for future family-focused research. Journal of Family Nursing, 26(1), 26-37. doi: doi:10.1177/1074840719894016

Lee, J., Kubik, M. Y., Fulkerson, J. A. (2019). Diet quality and fruit, vegetable and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption by household food insecurity among 8- to 12-year-old children during summer months. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 119(10), 1695-1702.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2019.03.004

Lee, J., Kubik, M. Y., Fulkerson, J. A. (2018). Media devices in parents’ and children’s bedrooms and children’s media use. American Journal of Health Behavior, 42(1), 135-143.
doi: https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.42.1.13

Lee. J., Hansen, M., Harnack, L. J., & Fulkerson, J. A. “Quality of Lunch Menus Provided through the Summer Food Service Program. Report of Pilot Analysis of HEI 2015 Scores.” MNRS 47^th Annual Research Conference. (April 1, 2023). Peer-reviewed/refereed.

 Lee, J. "Evaluation Plans for a Summer Child Nutrition Assistance Program to Better Understand Translation of Policy to Community Health," Association for Clinical and Translational Science 2021 (Virtual). (2021).

Lee, J. "Recruiting Community-based Child Nutrition Assistance Program Sponsors during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Recruitment Outcomes and Program Characteristics," University of Minnesota. (October 4, 2021).

Lee, J., Hansen, M., Bauer, R., Moua, S., Weinfurter, E. Z., Harnack, L. J., & Fulkerson, J. A.  "Systematic Review of Community-based Child Summer Nutrition Assistance Program and Their Effects on Child Nutrition-Related Outcomes," International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2022 Annual Conference. (May 21, 2022). Peer-reviewed/refereed.

Lee, J., Austin, R. R., Mathiason, M. A., & Monsen, K. A. (2020, November 01). Heterogeneity among Low-Income Clients with Nutrition Problems Receiving Public Health Nurse Home Visiting Services: An Intervention Effectiveness Latent Class Analysis Study of Omaha System Data. Presentation at the American Medical Informatics Association 2020 Annual Conference.

Lee, J., Friend, S., Horning, M. L., Linde, J. A., Flattum, C., Lindberg, R., & Fulkerson, J. A.  "Are Patterns of Family Evening Meal Practices Associated with Child and Parent Diet Quality and Body Weight?" International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2021 Virtual Annual Conference. (June 10, 2021). Peer-reviewed/refereed.

Lee, J., Tripicchio, G., Fulkerson, J. A., Kubik, M. Y. "Eating before Bedtime among School-Aged Children with Elevated Body Mass Index: Implications for Public Health Nurses Addressing Childhood Obesity." American Public Health Association 2020 Annual Conference. (October 2020). Peer-reviewed/refereed.

Lee, J., Kubik, M. Y., Fulkerson, J. A. "Missed Work Among Caregivers of Children with a High Body Mass Index: Child, Parent, and Household Characteristics," American Public Health Association 2019 Annual Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. (November 2019). Peer-reviewed/refereed. 

Lee, J., Kubik, M. Y., Fulkerson, J. A. "Intake of Fruits and Vegetables as Snacks among School-Aged Children With a High Body Mass Index," American Public Health Association 2019 Annual Conference, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. (November 2019). 

Lee, J., Kubik, M. Y., Fulkerson, J. A. "Food Insecurity and Children’s Diet Quality During Summer Break," American Public Health Association 2018 Annual Conference, San Diego, California, United States. (November 2018).

Award: Reducing the summer health gap: Evaluation of community-based child nutrition assistance program
Principal Investigator: Lee, Jiwoo
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NAT'L INST OF CHILD HEALTH/HUMAN DEV
Sponsoring Organization Reference ID: 1K23HD107179-01
Award Dates: July 1, 2022 - June 30, 2026

Award: Reducing the summer health gap: Evaluation and enhancement of a community-based child nutrition assistance program
Principal Investigator: Lee, Jiwoo
Sponsoring Organization: University of Minnesota CTSI (NIH/NCATS)
Sponsoring Organization Reference ID: UL1TR002494, KL2TR002492
Award Dates: April 1, 2020 – June 30, 2022

Award: New Ulm at HOME (NU-HOME)
Project Investigators: Fulkerson, Jayne A. (Principal), Lee, Jiwoo (Co-Investigator)
Sponsoring Organization: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
Sponsoring Organization Reference ID: 1R01HL123699
Award Dates: May 2020 - August 2022

Award: Preliminary evaluation of the effects of a culturally relevant weekend food program on children’s food security and diet quality
Principal Investigators: Lee, Jiwoo (Co-Principal), Harnack, Lisa J. (Co-Principal)
Sponsoring Organization: University of Minnesota Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute
Sponsoring Organization Reference ID: 21SFR-2YR150JU
Award Dates: September 1, 2022 - August 31, 2024

Award: SNAPSHOT (Students, Nurses, and Parents Seeking Healthy Options Together)
Project Investigators: Fulkerson, Jayne A. (Co-Principal), Kubik, Martha Y. (Co-Principal), Lee, Jiwoo (Research Associate/Project Coordinator)
Sponsoring Organization: National Institute of Nursing Research
Sponsoring Organization Reference ID: R01NR013473
Award Dates: August 2016 – March 2020

• Promotion of nutrition and health equity
• Community-based childhood obesity prevention
• Evaluation in health promotion and disease prevention programs