Research Studies

Evidence suggests video captured with a wearable video device (WVD) may augment or supplant traditional methods for assessing park use. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are used to assess human activity, but research employing them for park assessments is sparse. Therefore, this study compared park users counts between a WVD and UAS. A diverse set of 33 amenities (e.g. playground) in three parks were videoed simultaneously by one researcher wearing a WVD and another operating the UAS. Assessments were done at 12 noon and 7 pm on weekends with one park evaluated on two occasions 7 days apart. Two investigators independently reviewed videos and reached consensus on counts of individuals at each amenity. Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to determine intra- and inter-rater reliabilities. A total of 404 (M=4.7; SD=9.6) and 389 (M=4.5; SD=9.0) individuals were counted in the UAS and WVD videos, respectively. Absolute agreement was 86% (74/86) and 100% when no individuals were using the amenity. Whether using all 86 videos or only videos having people (48 videos), ICCs indicated excellent reliability (ICC = .99; p<0.001). The totals seen for the repeated measures were UAS=146, WVD=136 day 1 and UAS=169 and WVD=161 day 2. Intra-rater reliability was excellent for the UAS (ICC=.92; p<0.001) and good for WVD (ICC=.89; p<0.001). Disagreement was mainly due to obstructions – people behind or under structures. This study provides support for the use of UASs for counting park users and future research examining the potential benefits of video analysis for assessing park use.

African American (AA) adults are more likely to report insufficient sleep duration (<7 hours) and other sleep deficiencies (e.g., poor sleep quality), and to have advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), than Non-Hispanic Whites (NHW) with similar smoking behaviors.

Not known are the multi-level (i.e., individual, social and environmental) factors that predict insufficient sleep duration and other sleep deficiencies, and the extent to which sleep deficiencies predict poorer health outcomes such as continued tobacco use and worsening lung function in AA smokers. To address these knowledge gaps, we are conducting a 5-year prospective cohort study where 400 AA smokers who are aged >39 years, and are prodromal or with early stage COPD, are being enrolled and will have key biological, psychosocial, behavioral, and environmental variables assessed across the study period. We expect to define multi-level phenotypes of risk for sleep deficiencies, continued tobacco use, and worsening lung function in this health disparate population of mid-life AA smokers. [PI: Freda Patterson, PhD]

https://sites.udel.edu/udcovidmodel/

Decision making and policy setting by universities and localities requires knowledge of how people move and interact in the environment. This program adapts new scientific approaches in population balance modeling developed under the auspices of the National Science Foundation to model human movement and interaction in our college and town with the goal of providing new tools to help in developing rational strategies for mitigation and eventual elimination of the novel corona virus, as well as future biological threats. Data for the model input will be obtained from high-definition video footage of public, outdoor areas including green spaces/parks, sidewalks/streets, and campus walkways/congregating spaces analyzed by artificial intelligence algorithms. Highly efficient tools, again developed in prior research funded by the National Science Foundation, will enable determining key parameters needed for epidemiological models including effective transmission rates. Epidemiological modeling will be translated into a dashboard for use by policy makers as well as for public education about various mitigation strategies. This RAPID project will provide a computational tool and example for use more broadly by communities and in additional and future, challenging public health issues. [PI: Richard Suminski, PhD, MPH]

The purpose of the NIH funded project is to conduct secondary data analyses on a unique and comprehensive data set collected during a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that determined the impact of early formula diet on energy balance, growth, and weight gain. Using data collected from infants and their mothers from 2 weeks to 1.5 years, we will analyze secondary outcomes that fall into three broad categories: biomarkers and risk factors for later obesity; lab-based measures of infant vegetable acceptance and taste genotype; and feeding patterns and practices and nutrient intake. This project will expand our knowledge of early nutritional programming in a contemporary cohort of infants, with goal of improving the health of the next generation of infants who feed formula, many of whom are at risk for later obesity. [PIs: Jillian Trabulsi, PhD, RD and Julie Mennella, PhD]

An unacceptably high percentage of our nation’s low-income, minority youth (< 18 years of age) are not regularly physically active. The presence of quality youth physical activity opportunities (YPAO) enables and encourages physically active lifestyles. Unfortunately, quality YPAOs often are lacking in places where minority youth live, resulting in low activity levels and subsequent health issues that represent significant disparities in our society. Our previous research found that small businesses (< 500 employees), which represent over 99% of all employers, are powerful resources for creating and improving YPAOs. In accordance with the Socioecological Model and established philanthropic principles, we developed an alpha version of an intervention (alpha-i) for increasing small businesses’ involvement with YPAOs. We are now creating a beta version (beta-i) and pilot testing its impact on small business support for YPAOs and YPAO utilization by youth in low-income, minority New Castle County, Delaware neighborhoods. Results from this study are expected to inform a nationally implementable practice for increasing support for YPAOs and strengthen the science of addressing health disparities in socially disadvantaged populations. [PI: Richard Suminski, PhD, MPH]

The burden of diabetes is greater for racial/ethnic minorities, including African Americans. Overweight and obesity are risk factors for the development of diabetes and are also more prevalent in racial/ethnic minorities. The Diabetes Prevention Program and subsequent translation studies demonstrated the efficacy of a lifestyle intervention on reducing weight and risk of type 2 diabetes. Increasing evidence supports efforts to engage CHWs to help extend our reach to raise awareness about diabetes prevention in underserved communities. Innovative internet-based CHW training programs that are standardized, effective, and scalable could provide a convenient and engaging training model to support the efforts of CHWs. To address this need, we adapted, implemented, and evaluated an internet-based 3-D virtual world model to remotely deliver a CHW training program (based on CDC “Road to Health Toolkit") to support CHWs’ efforts in raising awareness about diabetes prevention in African American communities. If our virtual world CHW training model shows promise it could be tailored/adapted for diverse groups and scaled for broad remote dissemination. [PI: Laurie Ruggiero, PhD]