Core Expertise
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The dietary assessment core, led by Katherine Tucker, is a fully equipped research facility available to members and fee-for-service contracts.
This core offers expertise in:
- Study and instrument design for collection of dietary data
- Collection and processing of dietary records, 24-hour dietary recalls and food frequency questionnaires (FFQ)
- Linking dietary and nutrition data to health outcomes, including NHANES
- Interviewer training
- Statistical analysis to describe the food and nutrient intake of groups, including dietary patterning (e.g. indices)
- Validation of dietary assessment tools
In addition to processing standard questionnaires, we have developed specialized food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) for use with Hispanic adults in the Northeastern US and in Puerto Rico (Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Central Americans); and another for use in the Southern US (Mississippi Delta region), which has been modified for use in the NHLBI Jackson Heart Study. Our staff includes programmers experienced in writing SAS programs to link scanned output to dietary database contents and to create output reports for foods and nutrients from food frequency questionnaires. They are also conversant in creating food groups and other food and nutrient variables for use in analysis.
Center Senior Research Manager, Esther Jennings, MPH, offers extensive experience in management of numerous projects including epidemiologic cohort studies and community-based research and programming. She has expertise in preparing and submitting extramural grant applications, including developing budgets and budget justifications, supplemental materials and NIH biosketches. Her expert services can be utilized in fee-for-service contracts.
Our team has over 15 years of experience with program evaluation designed to ensure feasibility and effectiveness of community-based health initiatives, interventions, and programming. We offer a comprehensive framework for assessing the impact of community-based programs on community capacity building, health, and other outcomes in fee-for-service contracts.
Services offered:
- Conducting Needs Assessments: Identifying strengths and gaps in community resources by focusing on integration of resident and community voices to effectively tailor program development.
- Data Collection and Analysis: Qualitative and quantitative data collection methods to gather relevant information for program implementation and impact.
- Process Evaluation: Ensuring that the implementation process is conducted as planned.
- Outcome Evaluation: Measuring short- and long-term effects of health programs on the target population.
- Reports and Dissemination of Information: Clear actionable reports for sharing with stakeholders to inform decision making and policy development.
Our process utilizes the extensive experience of staff members who have led the evaluation of a wide array of population health interventions.
The CPH seeks out new collaborations with both internal and external colleagues, and offers a comprehensive set of resources dedicated to advancing epidemiologic research and collaboration. These resources include data collection and analysis, study design, and access to unique data from the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (BPRHS).
Key components of our epidemiologic research resources:
- Data collection and analysis: compile data from various sources for robust epidemiologic analysis.
- Study design: provide expertise in the design of epidemiologic studies and offer continued support.
- Collaboration: utilize and build partnerships with community organizations, healthcare providers, and academic institutions.
Unique data: access to BPRHS data to better understand health disparities and determinants in this specific population.
Center Senior Research Manager, Esther Jennings, MPH, has substantial knowledge of survey development and data collection in REDCap. REDCap is a secure web-based application built for the collection and storage of data arising from clinical and population-based research studies. Application of this knowledge to external research studies can be provided in fee-for-service contracts.