2024 public health research and resources

Published: April 1, 2024

The first full week of April marks National Public Health Week, during which public health contributions and issues are highlighted. The Center’s work toward healthy children in a healthy world is grounded in public health principles. Celebrate this week, in part, by learning more about many of the Center’s public health efforts and research projects. 

RESEARCH AND RESOURCES: 

The school setting provides important opportunities to learn, grow, and be healthy. Take a look at some of the Center’s efforts to promote a healthy school environment.   

• Texas Child Health Status Reports 
• CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) 
• CATCH Healthy Smiles 
• Project: Travis County CATCH Elementary School Project (Travis County CATCH) 
• STREETS (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) 

Nutrition is a critical part of our work to advance healthy living for children and families. The Center has a wide range of research, resources, and programs to promote nutrition in various settings and communities. 

• Nourish Program 
• CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) 
• Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (TX SPAN)  
• Child Obesity Toolkit 
• Child Nutrition Toolkit 
• Child Beverage Consumption Toolkit 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Child Obesity Crisis in Texas 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Child Nutrition 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Child Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Breakfast Consumption 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Child Eating Away From Home Behaviors 
• Project: Nourishing the Community Through Culinary Medicine 
• Project: Digital Physical Activity adn Diet (dPAD) Collaborative 
• Project: Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial – UTHealth Houston School of Public Health Site 
• Project: Brighter Bites 
• Project: Texas SNAP-Ed Evaluation 
• Blog: 5 tips and tricks for makign meals more nutritious 
• Blog: 2024 nutrition research and resources 

Facets of everyday life, from screen time to transportation, are encompassed in physical activity research and are a focus of the Center’s work and resources. 

• Child Physical Activity Toolkit 
• Child Screen Time Toolkit 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Child Physical Activity 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Child Screentime 
• CATCH (Coordinated Approach to Child Health) 
• Project: Texas School of Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (TX SPAN) 
• Project: STREETS (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) 
• Project: Central Texas Healthy Adolescent Project 
• Project: South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental (SAYCARE) Study 

E-cigarettes quickly rose in popularity among youth despite evidence indicating their harmful effects. Researchers at the Center have been working to understand teen vaping behaviors.  

• Cigarettes/vaping 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Teen Vaping 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Vaping Advertisements and Teens 
• Texas Child Health Status Reports: Vaping with Flavors 
• CATCH My Breath  
• TATAMS 

 

WEBINARS

Over the past several years, the Center has hosted countless webinars that feature highly esteemed public health experts discussing various public health-related topics. These recent Center-hosted webinars, which can all be accessed on the Center website, include: 

Active Texas 2030: Faith-Based Sector 

Active Texas 2030: Public Health Sector 

Active Texas 2030: Media & Communications Sector 

Active Texas 2030: Transportation, Land Use, and Community Design Sector 

Active Texas 2030: Business and Industry Sector 

Analysis of Count Data in Medical and Social Sciences: An Application to Smoking Among Students 

Food Insecurity in Texas: An Overview from Public Health and Pediatrician Perspectives 

Food Insecurity in Texas: Clinic and Community - Based Approaches 

Food Insecurity in Texas: State Level Policies to Make an Impact 

Immunizations: Vaccines Cause Adults 

The Impact of Climate Change on Child Health 

Maternal Child Health in Texas: A Continuing Crisis 

Nutrition Intervention among Formerly Chronically Homeless Adults in Permanent Supportive Housing 

Promoting Healthy Choices and Support for Vaping Cessation Among Youth & Families 

Understanding Youth Movement Behaviors: Texas SPAN Survey Insights 

Compiled by Ali Linan, communication assistant, and Emily Torres, MPH candidate and graduate research assistant at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin.