The Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods (PRCHN) at Case Western Reserve University will continue its seminar series with a presentation by Elaine Borawski, director of the PRCHN and the Angela Bowen Williamson Professor of Community Nutrition at School of Medicine.
Borawski’s presentation, titled “IMPACT: A Multi-level Behavioral Intervention for Overweight Middle School Urban Youth” will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 10, from noon to 1:15 p.m. on the ground floor of the BioEnterprise Building (11000 Cedar Ave.).
During this seminar, Borawski will discuss the study design and methods of IMPACT (Ideas Moving Parents and Adolescents to Change Together), one of four National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute funded studies within its Childhood Obesity Prevention and Treatment Research Program. IMPACT is a three-group randomized, multi-level trial comparing the efficacy of two distinct family-based interventions coupled with a school-based fitness intervention, on body mass index (BMI) in middle-school-aged, disadvantaged, urban youth who are overweight or obese (>85th percentile BMI). In addition, the study examines the role of peer-normed and objectively assessed home, school and neighborhood environments as moderators of program impact on outcomes of BMI, blood pressure, cardiovascular risk factors, and quality of life.
Borawski’s research focus has been community-based and community-engaged research, working closely with local stakeholders (i.e., city and county departments of health, school districts, etc.) to explore effective ways to improve health and develop healthier lifestyles among Cleveland’s most disadvantaged and underserved residents.
The PRCHN seminars are held the second Wednesday of every month, and a light lunch is served. Please contact Kathy Kelly at kjk3@case.edu for more information about the PRCHN seminar series.