Melissa Horning, PhD, RN, PHN

Melissa Horning, PhD, RN, PHN is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing. Dr. Horning’s community-based participatory research aims to address social determinants of health – like affordable, healthy food access – that influence health behaviors, nutrition and obesity of individuals and families living in underserved communities. She is currently exploring the role mobile food markets play in addressing healthy food access and reducing health disparities. The American Public Health Association (APHA) awarded its 2019 Junior Investigator Award to Dr. Horning. The Junior Investigator Award is selected through blind review by the association’s research committee and honors an early-career (NIH definition) Public Health Nursing Section member's work since completing a doctoral education.

Research Summary/Interests: Community-engaged, health promotion research with children, youth and families; Social ecological influences on adolescent health behaviors and nutrition; Public health nursing).

Center for Adolescent Nursing

Center for Child and Family Health Promotion Research

Minnesota Obesity Prevention Center

National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity

American Public Health Association, Public Health Nursing Section

International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Fulkerson, J. A., Horning, M. L., Barr-Anderson, D. J., Linde, J. A., Sidebottom, A. C., Lindberg, R., Friend, S., Flattum, C., Freese, R. L., 2021. Universal Childhood Obesity Prevention in a Rural Community: Study Design, Methods and Baseline Participant Characteristics of the NU-HOME Randomized Controlled Trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 100 106160.

Horning, M. L., Porter, L., 2020. Twin Cities Mobile Market Food Delivery Model: A Preliminary Study Describing Results of A Customer Intercept Survey and Point of Sale Data for 2016. Journal of Hunger & Environmental Nutrition, 15 (4): 484-495.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/19320248.2019.1654426

Horning, M. L., Porter, L. R., Hassan, A., Edson, E., 2020. Full-Service Twin Cities Mobile Market Impact: Qualitative Findings From Focus Groups With Customers. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120 (9): 1548-1556.

Horning, M. L., Schneider, R., Beacham, B., McKechnie, A. C., Kirk, L., Emery, D., Lindquist, R., 2020. Appreciation of the Research-Practice Link: Authentic Learning Environments for Writing-Intensive Nursing Courses. Nursing education perspectives, 41 (6): 361-363.

Horning, M. L., Ostrow, L., Beierwaltes, P., Beaudette, J., Schmitz, K., Fulkerson, J. A., 2020. Service Learning within Community-Engaged Research: Facilitating Nursing Student Learning Outcomes. Journal of Professional Nursing, 36 (6): 510-513.

Horning, M. L., Olsen, J. M., Lell, S., Thorson, D. R., Monsen, K. A., 2018. Description of Public Health Nursing Nutrition Assessment and Interventions for Home-Visited Women. Public Health Nursing, 35 (4): 317-326.

Myers, M. L., Fulkerson, J. A., Friend, S. E., Horning, M. L., Flattum, C. F., 2018. Case Study: Behavior Changes in the Family-Focused Obesity Prevention HOME Plus Program. Public Health Nursing, 35 (4): 299-306.

Olsen, J. M., Horning, M. L., Thorson, D., Monsen, K. A., 2018. Relationships Between Public Health Nurse-Delivered Physical Activity Interventions and Client Physical Activity Behavior. Applied Nursing Research, 40 13-19.

Fulkerson, J. A., Friend, S., Horning, M., Flattum, C., Draxten, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Gurvich, O., Garwick, A., Story, M., Kubik, M. Y., 2018. Family Home Food Environment and Nutrition-Related Parent and Child Personal and Behavioral Outcomes of the Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME) Plus Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 118 (2): 240-251.

Horning, M. L., Liden, G., McMorris, B. J., 2017. Sprouting Seeds of Connectedness: Associations between Gardening and Cooking Skills and Youth Connections to Peers, Adults, and Community. Children, Youth and Environments, 27 (1): 1.
doi: https://doi.org/10.7721/chilyoutenvi.27.1.0001

Loth, K. A., Horning, M., Friend, S., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Fulkerson, J., 2017. An Exploration of How Family Dinners Are Served and How Service Style Is Associated With Dietary and Weight Outcomes in Children. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49 (6): 513-518.

Horning, M. L., Schow, R., Friend, S. E., Loth, K., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Fulkerson, J. A., 2017. Family Dinner Frequency Interacts with Dinnertime Context in Associations with Child and Parent BMI Outcomes.. Journal of Family Psychology, 31 (7): 945.

Horning, M. L., Fulkerson, J. A., Friend, S. E., Story, M., 2017. Reasons Parents Buy Prepackaged, Processed Meals: It Is More Complicated Than “I Don't Have Time”. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 49 (1): 60-66.

Horning, M. L., Liden, G., McMorris, B. J., 2017. Sprouting Seeds of Connectedness: Associations between Gardening and Cooking Skills and Youth Connections to Peers, Adults, and Community. Children, Youth and Environments, 27 (1): 1-16.

Horning, M. L., Fulkerson, J. A., Friend, S. E., Neumark-Sztainer, D., 2016. Associations among Nine Family Dinner Frequency Measures and Child Weight, Dietary, and Psychosocial Outcomes. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 116 (6): 991-999.

Loth, K., Friend, S., Horning, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Fulkerson, J., 2016. Directive and Non-Directive Food-Related Parenting Practices: Associations Between an Expanded Conceptualization of Food-Related Parenting Practices and Child Dietary Intake and Weight Outcomes. Appetite, 107 188-195.

Horning, M. L., Fulkerson, J. A., 2015. A Systematic Review on the Affordability of a Healthful Diet for Families in the United States. Public Health Nursing, 32 (1): 68-80.
doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12145

Fulkerson, J. A., Friend, S., Flattum, C., Horning, M., Draxten, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Gurvich, O., Story, M., Garwick, A., Kubik, M. Y., 2015. Promoting Healthful family Meals to Prevent Obesity: HOME Plus, A Randomized Controlled Trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12 (1): 1-12.

Flattum, C., Draxten, M., Horning, M., Fulkerson, J. A., Neumark-Sztainer, D., Garwick, A., Kubik, M. Y., Story, M., 2015. HOME Plus: Program Design and Implementation of a Family-Focused, Community-Based Intervention to Promote the Frequency and Healthfulness of Family Meals, Reduce Children’s Sedentary Behavior, and Prevent Obesity. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 12 (1): 1-9.

Fulkerson, J. A., Larson, N., Horning, M., Neumark-Sztainer, D., 2014. A Review of Associations Between Family or Shared Meal Frequency and Dietary and Weight Status Outcomes Across the Llifespan. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 46 (1): 2-19.

Award: Evaluating Diet, Food Insecurity, and Food Purchasing Ou
Principal Investigator: Horning Dehmer, Melissa Lynn
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NINR National Institute of Nursing
Award Dates: 2022 - 2026

Award: Evaluating Diet, Food Insecurity, and Food Purchasing Ou
Principal Investigator: Horning Dehmer, Melissa Lynn
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NINR National Institute of Nursing
Award Dates: 2022 - 2026

Award: Evaluating Diet, Food Insecurity, and Food Purchasing Ou
Principal Investigator: Horning Dehmer, Melissa Lynn
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NINR National Institute of Nursing
Award Dates: 2022 - 2026

Award: Twin Cities Mobile Market Expansion
Principal Investigator: Horning Dehmer, Melissa Lynn
Sponsoring Organization: Amherst H. Wilder Foundation
Award Dates: 2018 - 2021

Award: Center for Research in Family Home Visiting
Principal Investigator: Shlafer, Rebecca J
Sponsoring Organization: MN Department of Health
Award Dates: 2018 - 2023

Award: East Side Table Program Evaluation Partnership
Principal Investigator: Horning Dehmer, Melissa Lynn
Sponsoring Organization: Stratis Health
Award Dates: 2018 - 2019

Award: New Ulm at HOME - (NU-HOME)
Principal Investigator: Fulkerson, Jayne Allyn
Sponsoring Organization: NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institu
Award Dates: 2016 - 2022

Award: Child and Parent Food Choices and Purchases: Contributio
Principal Investigator: Horning Dehmer, Melissa Lynn
Sponsoring Organization: NIH NINR National Institute of Nursing
Award Dates: 2014 - 2015