Projects
ACCESS to Healthy Aging
This multi-level study aims to fill research gaps surrounding physical activity practices in adult supervised care settings. The project team will adapt Go NAPSACC into an online tool to improve physical activity in adult supervised care, examine its feasibility, and explore barriers and facilitators to health promotion in these settings. Click here to learn more about ACCESS to Healthy Aging.
Principal Investigator: Erik A. Willis, PhD, MPH, MS, FACSM, erik.willis@unc.edu
Project Manager: Falon Smith, PhD, MS, ftilley@unc.edu
CACFP Access
This study aims to explore disparities in access to the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) and develop strategies for equitable dissemination and uptake among center-based early care and education (ECE) programs. Using a mixed-methods design, the research team will assess national variations in center-based ECE programs participation using publicly available data on community demographics, sponsor availability, and state-level CACFP policies. Interviews with state CACFP professionals and ECE directors will be conducted to understand the contextual factors that hinder utilization and community or program-level assets that enhance participation in CACFP. Click here to learn more about CACFP Access.
Principal Investigator: Falon Smith, PhD, MS, ftilley@unc.edu
Enhancing Equity in Child Health and Development through Go NAPSACC
This project aims to enhance support for ECE programs and systems by re-envisioning Go NAPSACC tools, resources, and implementation strategies through an equity lens to better address the complex issues that drive inequities. The Go NAPSACC team will engage with an equity consultant, state-level organizations, and its national advisory group to guide enhancements of existing resources. Additionally, the team will develop new resources addressing underlying drivers of health and racial inequities, as well as the social and emotional well-being of children and their caregivers in North Carolina and beyond. Click here to learn more about Enhancing Equity in Child Health and Development through Go NAPSACC.
Principal Investigator: Falon Smith, PhD, MS, ftilley@unc.edu
Go NAPSACC
Go NAPSACC is a suite of services for state administrators and early childhood professionals seeking to provide high-quality early care and education (ECE) supportive of lifelong health and wellbeing. Go NAPSACC is an update and expansion of NAP SACC (Nutrition and Physical Activity Self-Assessment for Child Care), an evidence-based policy and environmental intervention that is highly regarded within the public health community and used by many states and internationally to support healthy eating and physical activity in young children. Early Care and Education programs work through Go NAPSACC’s 5-step quality improvement model to meet evidence-based practices in seven nutrition and physical activity modules. Click here to learn more about Go NAPSACC.
Director: Falon Smith, PhD, MS, ftilley@unc.edu
Go NAPSACC Cares
Early care and education (ECE) programs and their educators are critical partners in addressing public health efforts around obesity. Early childhood educators experience disproportionately high rates of obesity and research has shown that their own knowledge and skills around healthy eating and physical activity is associated with their confidence and ability to model and promote healthy lifestyle behaviors to children. The goal of this project is to fully leverage the potential of ECE programs for childhood obesity prevention by addressing the health needs of ECE educators. This project will use a cluster randomized controlled trial to assess the impact of an evidence-based weight management intervention program targeting ECE educators on their own healthy behaviors, on the diet quality and physical activity levels of the children in their care, and on the classroom environment. Click here to learn more about Go NAPSACC Cares.
Project Manager: Regan Burney, PhD, reganb@unc.edu
Principal Investigator: Erik A. Willis, PhD, MPH, MS, FACSM, erik.willis@unc.edu
Milk to Meals
Milk to Meals is an online caregiver survey that explores how method of introduction to complementary foods (baby led weaning, traditional spoon-feeding, and mixed approaches) impacts later feeding problems, feeding skills, and food selectivity. Caregivers of children birth through age 7 are invited to participate with a goal of recruiting 600 caregivers to complete the survey.
Principal Investigator: Kelsey Thompson, PhD, CCC-SLP, kelsey_thompson@med.unc.edu
Project Manager: Sofia De Oliveira, BSPH, BA, sofiamdo@live.unc.edu
Screen Time Snack Study
The Screen Time Snack Study is an in-person study that occurs concurrently with the screen time study in the OWL Lab. The goal of the study is to examine how eating in front of a screen impacts children’s eating patterns, including the number of bites they take, how quickly they eat, and how much they eat. Children aged 3 – 8 will participate in a standardized snack where they will be randomized to eat in front of a screen or without one. Videos of the child eating will be analyzed to determine children’s eating patterns.
Principal Investigator: Kelsey Thompson, PhD, CCC-SLP, kelsey_thompson@med.unc.edu
Project Manager: Sofia De Oliveira, BSPH, BA, sofiamdo@live.unc.edu
Spectra Discovery
Calls for higher quality research have been made to better understand and evaluate the effect of electronic screens on children’s health outcomes. Wearable devices that include a color light sensor combined with advanced machine learning methods are an emerging and promising measure of electronic screen exposure in adults. However, there is a scientific need to extend this approach to free-living calibrations with natural observation and validation in children.
The overall objective of the Spectra Discovery project is to develop, calibrate, and test wearable sensors, machine learning algorithms, and wear methods capable of more precisely quantifying screen use in children. Using lab-based and free-living data collection methods and advanced analytics, we will extend previous screen time detection work to build reliability and validity evidence for a device-based measure of electronic screen exposure. Click here to learn more about Spectra Discovery.
Principal Investigator: Erik A. Willis, PhD, MPH, MS, FACSM, erik.willis@unc.edu
Project Manager: India Rockett, MSPHS, india.rockett@unc.edu