Research Projects

– Contextually Responsive Implementation of Place-Activation Interventions for Promoting Physical Activity in Low-Income Urban Communities (CEA)

This comprehensive and community-engaged mixed-methods study is designed to design, test, and scale strategies for improving physical activity outcomes in disadvantaged urban settings. It leverages Mexico’s ongoing investment in public space renovations to inform public health action both locally and for U.S.-based Latin American communities. PIs Deborah Salvo, PhD, and Alejandra Jauregui, PhD, are leading this study.

Purpose of the Study

Physical inactivity is a major public health challenge and a critical contributor to obesity, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Low-income urban populations face multiple barriers to physical activity, including limited access to safe, high-quality leisure spaces. This study seeks to accelerate the uptake of evidence-based place-activation interventions—community-engaged, multisectoral strategies for optimizing the use of renovated public open spaces—to reduce the burden of physical inactivity and related chronic diseases.

Goals

  1. To adapt evidence-based place-activation interventions for use in low-income urban communities in Mexico through mixed-methods approaches (surveys, interviews, and focus groups).
  2. To conduct a hybrid III group-randomized controlled trial testing active dissemination and implementation methods for improving the reach, adoption, and sustainability of place-based EBIs.
  3. To use community-engaged and participatory approaches (GIS interviews, co-creation workshops, and concept mapping) to evaluate the long-term maintenance and scalability of place-activation EBIs.

Funder

This research is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, grant number R01MD019155.

Logo for the Contextually Responsive Implementation of Place-Activation Interventions for Promoting Physical Activity in Low-Income Urban Communities project.
– Active Middle School Communities Project (AMSC)

In collaboration with UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin, “Co-Creating and Implementing Contextually Responsive Physical Activity Interventions with Low-Income Adolescents” also known as the “Active Middle School Communities Project” is a comprehensive and community-engaged mixed methods study to design and test strategies for improving community-wide and individual-level physical activity outcomes in middle school neighborhoods. PIs Deborah Salvo, PhD, and Deanna Hoelscher, PhD, RDN, LD, CNS, FISBNPA, are leading this study.

Purpose of the Study

  • Physical inactivity is a public health crisis and a major contributor to chronic disease.
  • We are conducting a comprehensive, community-engaged study to design and test strategies for improving individual-level and community-wide physical activity outcomes in middle school communities.

Goals

  1. To identify community-level barriers and facilitators for physical activity in urban middle school communities
  2. To engage multi-sectoral and multi-generational community actors for co-creating contextually-responsive intervention strategies to improve access to active transport and leisure in urban middle school communities.
  3. To evaluate the effectiveness of the co-created intervention strategies for improving physical activity outcomes in urban middle school communities.

Funder

This research is funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, grant number 1R01MD019423.

See the press release about the $5 mil NIH Grant for more information:

https://www.uth.edu/news/story/physical-activity-intervention-strategies-in-low-income-communities-funded-by-a-5m-nih-grant-for-collaborative-research-at-uthealth%20houston-and-the-university-of-texas-at-austin

Logo for the Active Middle School Communities Project.
– A Comprehensive Mixed-Methods Examination of the Impact of Playground Surfaces on Playability and Child and Community Wellbeing (Playground Surface and Playability)

This study aims to develop an evidence-informed definition of playground playability and examine how surface materials such as artificial grass, woodchips, and rubber contribute to it. It explores differences in children’s play across surface types and how parents perceive each surface in terms of safety, comfort, cleanliness, aesthetics, inclusivity, and climate resilience. The study further assesses how these factors vary by neighborhood socioeconomic status to inform more equitable access to high-quality play environments for all. PIs Deborah Salvo, PhD, and Esbelle Jowers, PhD, are leading this study.

Purpose of the Study

Playgrounds are critical community assets for promoting children’s physical and social development. However, the quality and accessibility of playgrounds are influenced by design features, including surface materials. This study seeks to generate evidence on how playground surfacing contributes to playability, safety, and inclusivity, focusing on equity across socioeconomic contexts.

Goals

  1. Develop an evidence-informed definition for the construct of playground playability.
  2. Quantify the contribution of three types of playground surface material to overall playground playability.
  3. Assess differences in children’s play behaviors, including active play and social play across three types of playground surfaces (artificial grass, woodchips, rubber).
  4. Examine whether parental perceptions of safety, comfort, cleanliness, aesthetics, inclusivity, and climate resilience in playgrounds are influenced by playground surface type.
  5. Assess differences of effects of playground surface type across playgrounds of high versus low socioeconomic status, and determine the potential contribution of playground surfacing on equitable access to quality play spaces in communities.