News about RED
DFPM-RED is happy to share …
- The Northwest Arkansas team is currently in process of moving locations; we will temporarily be in Lowell co-located with ACH – Center for Children and future location(s) is TBD.
- COVID changes for children: Using data from parents in early childcare programs in Arkansas, two internal reports were produced (happy to send if you are interested). Key findings you might find interesting:
- COVID (as expected) reduced visits to the library to near zero which makes things very difficult for low-income families.
- On the positive side, the time someone read to children remained steady except a reduction in the summer of 2020. The number of books in the home also dropped in the summer of 2020, but returned to near normal by the fall of 2020
- Young children also need the stimulation of activities outside the home. We found sharp drops in children joining in shopping trips (safe decision re: COVID); however, there were reductions in walks and attending athletic events (which for preschoolers are usually outside and safer).
Updates from Faculty
Dr. Whiteside-Mansell is focusing on funding for grant proposals related to the assessment of adverse childhood experiences in clinical settings. One was internal (123-GO) and was not funded but will be considered in the next round of funding. It was in collaboration with two regional programs. She has recently submitted an NIH/BIR proposal in collaboration with CAFES on the topic.
Dr. Edge: Nikki and DFPM/PRI team members submitted an application for a SAMHSA grant which would allow for the development and dissemination of trauma-informed care resources in early learning settings nationally, in partnership with Georgetown University and Arkansas State University. Cross your fingers for good news in the fall!
Dr. Lewis: has submitted a KL2 (UAMS Translational Research Institute: TRI career development award) proposal, with her primary mentor Dr. McKelvey, that will examine the effectiveness of Home Visiting programs delivered via telehealth compared to in-person.
Ms. Martel: Isis and the Northwest Arkansas team are focusing on proposals that will expand current work with vulnerable populations. They have successfully assisted 3 community organizations to apply for Substance Treatment Funding and RED will be doing the evaluation for each of these projects when awarded. We have also applied in partnership with ARBEST for a SAMHSA grant: “Parents and Children Together” (PACT) that aims to reduce adverse childhood experiences of children with parents who have a substance use disorder and/or criminal justice involvement. Isis has partnered with Melissa Zielinski in Psychiatric Research Institute to submit manuscripts for publication; the first article is under review.
New Funding
Isis Martel’s team in NWA RED was awarded a sub-award to continue partnership with Washington County Drug Court evaluation for a new 5 year (see update from Martel above)
The HIV Team hits again! Courtney Hampton – a new HIV coordinator hired recently – working with mentorship from LaTunja Sockwell has just received word that her application to the Ark Dept of Health was funded. The project will receive five years of funding at $200K per year to contribute to their focus on ending the HIV Epidemic. Her key activities will be:
Activity: Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Awareness and Navigation
I. Targeted PrEP awareness campaign.
II. A website and toll-free number for connecting to a PrEP navigator.
III. Implementation of services for ensuring PrEP retention, continuous HIV testing and counseling, and linkage to PrEP provider services.
IV. Implementation of a developed logistics plan for ensuring transportation assistance to a PrEP provider for care services.
Recent Publications and Updates
- Yoong, S.L., Jones, J., Pearson, N., Swindle, T., Barnes, C., Delaney, T., Lum, M., Golley, R., Matwiejczyk, L., Kelly, B., Kerr, E., Love, P., Esdaile, E., Ward, D., & Grady, A., (In Press). An overview of research opportunities to increase the impact of nutrition intervention research in early childhood and education care settings according to the RE-AIM framework. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
- Yoong, S.L., Jackson, J., Barnes, C., Pearson, N., Swindle, T., O’Reilly, S., Tabak R., Belski, R., Brown, R., Brown, A., & Sutherland, R. (In Press). Examining research published in top-tier nutrition and dietetics journals in 1988 and 2018. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior