Paola Campos, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Goode Lab at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute, has been awarded a grant from SPLENDOR-NC (Supporting, Promoting, and Launching the Expansion of Nutrition, Diabetes, and Obesity Researchers in North Carolina) and UNC-NORC’s (Nutrition Obesity Research Center) pilot and feasibility programs. This grant will support her research project, Exploring Hispanic parents’ social-, environmental-, and diet-related parenting practices and behaviors to prevent childhood obesity.
Campos’s current research interests have been shaped by a gradual evolution of experiences from diverse clinic- and community-based research projects in Mexico, Guatemala, and the United States. Her new project exemplifies her continued effort to improve public health through research and intervention.
Paola Campos, PhD
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Goode Lab
The prevalence of childhood obesity has dramatically increased, having more than tripled since the 1970s. In 2018, approximately 20.5% of US children were overweight or obese, and the percentage was even higher in the Hispanic community, where over 25% were overweight or obese. Campos’s project aims to identify health-related behaviors and analyze social and environmental influences, as well as dietary practices, to develop targeted interventions that can improve the overall health of children in this community. The importance of this research cannot be overstated, as childhood obesity is a growing public health concern with long-term health implications.
The grant from SPLENDOR-NC and UNC-NORC will enable Campos to collect preliminary data necessary for designing and implementing effective parenting interventions. Campos expressed her gratitude and excitement saying, “I am elated to have been awarded a grant from SPLENDOR-NC’s and UNC-NORC’s pilot and feasibility programs. I could not have done this without the support of Dr. Rachel W. Goode and all the members of the Living F.R.E.E. Lab at the Nutrition Research Institute. I am ready to launch this research project and will continue my journey towards preventing childhood obesity.”
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