The K23 candidate (Dr. Zeller) has recently advanced to a junior faculty position in the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Psychology. This award will provide the candidate with the scholarly training, mentorship, and support necessary to develop into an independent clinical researcher executing outcomes-based intervention research in pediatric obesity. Specific objectives are to: 1) develop expertise in pediatric obesity with consideration of biological, developmental, psychological factors, and extend research training into the areas of epidemiology and biostatistics, 2) develop a program of observational research regarding peer and family environments and emotional well being of children and adolescents who are obese, 3) use this expertise and observational data about children/adolescents who are obese to design treatment approaches for this population, and 4) become an independent and externally funded investigator in pediatric obesity. To achieve these career objectives, the candidate proposes a five-year training program with faculty mentors from a strong pediatric department and affiliated medical school. Her primary sponsor is a very experienced pediatric psychology researcher whose work has focused on the development of treatment studies for improved adherence to medical regimens, with an emphasis in nutrition and growth in pediatric populations. Co-mentors represent subspecialty divisions that are directly relevant to the research and career development plan. The career development plan describes activities focused on enhancing scientific knowledge of obesity and research-related approaches to pediatric weight management through coursework and independent study. Other activities in the plan include supervised experience in the development of grant proposals for individual research support and training in the responsible conduct of research. The candidate's proposed research involves two projects. Study 1 will compare children and adolescents who are obese and have been referred for weight management treatment to non-obese control children and adolescents on measures of: 1) family functioning, 2) child/adolescent peer relationships, and 3) child/adolescent emotional well-being. These data will provide information about the correlates of obesity that are critical to identifying potential barriers to successful weight management treatment and maintenance that is needed to guide the development of pilot clinical intervention trial(s) for Study 2. Interventions will target processes that 1) maintain negative behaviors that inhibit effective weight management, and/or 2) enhance and support effective weight management and lifestyle change.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23DK060031-05
Application #
6926972
Study Section
Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases B Subcommittee (DDK)
Program Officer
Podskalny, Judith M,
Project Start
2001-09-01
Project End
2007-08-31
Budget Start
2005-09-01
Budget End
2007-08-31
Support Year
5
Fiscal Year
2005
Total Cost
$112,308
Indirect Cost
Name
Children's Hospital Med Ctr (Cincinnati)
Department
Type
DUNS #
071284913
City
Cincinnati
State
OH
Country
United States
Zip Code
45229
Towner, Elizabeth K; Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer; Boles, Richard E et al. (2015) Predictors of caregiver feeding practices differentiating persistently obese from persistently non-overweight adolescents. Appetite 84:120-7
Boles, Richard E; Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer; Zeller, Meg H (2013) Persistently obese youth: interactions between parenting styles and feeding practices with child temperament. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 52:1098-106
Zeller, Meg H (2013) Adolescent bariatric surgery: ""you may ask yourself: how did I get here?"". J Pediatr Psychol 38:117-25
Cushing, Christopher C; Bishop-Gilyard, Chanelle T; Boles, Richard E et al. (2013) Caregiver concern in adolescents with persistent obesity: the importance of quality of life assessment. J Dev Behav Pediatr 34:9-14
Ratcliff, Megan Benoit; Bishop-Gilyard, Chanelle T; Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer et al. (2011) Racial differences in obese youth's perception of health care and weight loss. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 50:14-6
Piazza-Waggoner, Carrie; Modi, Avani C; Ingerski, Lisa M et al. (2011) Distress at the Dinner Table? Observed Mealtime Interactions among Treatment-Seeking Families of Obese Children. Child Obes 7:385-391
Modi, Avani C; Zeller, Meg H (2011) The IWQOL-Kids(©): establishing minimal clinically important difference scores and test-retest reliability. Int J Pediatr Obes 6:e94-6
Herzer, Michele; Zeller, Meg H; Rausch, Joseph R et al. (2011) Perceived social support and its association with obesity-specific health-related quality of life. J Dev Behav Pediatr 32:188-95
Guilfoyle, Shanna M; Zeller, Meg H; Modi, Avani C (2010) Parenting stress impacts obesity-specific health-related quality of life in a pediatric obesity treatment-seeking sample. J Dev Behav Pediatr 31:17-25
Reiter-Purtill, Jennifer; Ridel, Stephanie; Jordan, Rachel et al. (2010) The benefits of reciprocated friendships for treatment-seeking obese youth. J Pediatr Psychol 35:905-14

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