Obesity

Current Projects

• Environmental Influences on Child Health: A Snapshot of Children's Health in the United States
  The environment in which a child grows up strongly influences their health in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Using data for 2022 and 2023 from five national data sets, this project will provide a comprehensive update on rural-urban differences in child health in the United States.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Chronic diseases and conditions, Healthcare access, Obesity, Oral health, Poverty, Public health, Social determinants of health
  
• Identifying High-Need Counties for Resource Planning
  The primary aim of this project is to use data examining health care infrastructure, chronic disease prevalence, and the socioeconomic environment to create a metric for classifying rural counties based on needs and resources.
  Research center: University of South Carolina Rural Health Research Center
  Topics: Chronic diseases and conditions, Diabetes, Healthcare access, Maternal health, Obesity, Oral health, Physicians, Poverty, Public health, Rural statistics and demographics, Social determinants of health, Uninsured and underinsured, Workforce
  
• Rural-Urban Differences in Provider Counseling About Physical Activity Among U.S. Adults
  This study examines rural-urban differences in health professional counseling about physical activity among U.S. adults, using NHIS data (2020-2024). It explores how advice relates to meeting activity guidelines and whether differences vary by age, chronic condition prevalence, and other factors.
  Topics: Children and adolescents, Chronic diseases and conditions, Health promotion and disease prevention, Healthcare access, Obesity, Physicians, Public health