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.
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