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Active Middle School Communities Project

“Co-Creating and Implementing Contextually Responsive Physical Activity Interventions with Low-Income Adolescents,” also known as the “Active Middle School Communities Project,” is a comprehensive and community-engaged mixed methods study to design and test strategies for improving community-wide and individual-level physical activity outcomes in middle school neighborhoods.
Topic(s): Austin Physical Activity Community Development
Content Type: Project
Celebrating National Children’s Dental Health Month

A Conversation with Mirella Jabbour on Public Health, Healthy Dental Habits, and Protecting Young Smiles February is National Children’s Dental Health Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of establishing healthy dental habits early in life. To mark the occasion, we spoke with Mirella Jabbour, DDS, MPH, Research Coordinator here at the Dell Center, about her journey into public health, the connection between oral health and overall well-being, and what families can do to support children’s oral health.
Topic(s): Family and Child Health Community Development
Content Type: Blog
Can 10 Minutes Reduce Symptoms of Depression? A New Study Says Yes.

Many people would assume that reducing symptoms of depression requires weeks of therapy, months of medication, or both. But what if a well-designed 10-minute program could make a real difference? A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour suggests it can—and it features research from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living UTHealth Houston School of Public Health faculty from the Austin Location.
Topic(s): Family and Child Health
Content Type: Blog
HEAL (Healthy Eating Active Living)

This project is a clinic-community based intervention to implement an early life-cycle approach to obesity prevention among pregnant women and women with infants from low-income families.
Topic(s): Obesity
Content Type: Project
CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health)

CATCH is a research-based program designed to guide schools, families and children in healthy eating and physical activity.
Topic(s): Nutrition Tobacco and Alcohol Abuse Physical Activity School-based Health Programs Food Access Research Tools Obesity
Content Type: Project
Meet Dr. Michael Mrazek, our Newest Center Faculty Member!

Dr. Michael Mrazek joined UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin in June. His research, primarily funded by the U.S. Department of Education, leverages emerging technologies to improve the attention span and mental health of adolescents.
Topic(s): School-based Health Programs Health Policy
Content Type: Blog
Texas Childhood Obesity Prevention Policy Evaluation (T-COPPE)

This project is a collaborative effort that will study the impact of two recent policies: the Safe Routes to School program and an important rule revision to the federal food allocation package administered by the Texas Women, Infants and Children program.
Topic(s): Physical Activity Health Policy Obesity
Content Type: Project
STREETS (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools)

The STREETS Study (Safe TRavel Environment Evaluation in Texas Schools) is a five-year (2018 – 2023) natural experiment that is evaluating the City of Austin Safe Routes to School program.
Topic(s): Physical Activity Community Development
Content Type: Project
Healthy Plates, Healthy Patients: Dr. Jaclyn Albin puts food at center of care

Jaclyn Albin, MD, CCMS, DipABLM will deliver the 10th Annual Nader Legacy of Health Lectureship on September 23, 2025, at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health.
Topic(s): Austin Family and Child Health Nutrition Community Development
Content Type: Blog
Preventing Chronic Kidney Disease

CKD affects roughly 1 in 7 U.S. adults, yet most people don’t even realize they’re at risk. Even more concerning is it’s becoming increasingly common among younger adults, with approximately 6-7% living with CKD.
Topic(s):
Content Type: Blog
Mapping Opportunities to Reduce Roadway Fatality and Serious Injury in Partnership with the Montopolis Community of Austin, Texas: Advancing Vision Zero via a Young Adult-Led Assessment of Road-Related Safety & Active Commuting

Over 2,700 people in the Austin area have been seriously injured or killed in traffic crashes in the past five years. The Montopolis community is a higher risk geographic area, with Hispanic residents and young people (15-24) overrepresented in crash injuries. The Vision Zero Co-Learning & Action Planning Project was a a one-year community assessment led by young adults citizen scientists.
Topic(s): Austin Road Safety Physical Activity
Content Type: Blog
Teaching Kitchen Recipes from April 2, 2025

Check out two recipes made by our amazing Austin staff at an event hosted at our Austin community room on April 2, 2025!
Topic(s): Austin Nutrition
Content Type: Blog
What to know about early-onset colorectal cancer and screening

Did you know you can prevent or reduce your risk for colorectal cancer (CRC)? In honor of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Kat Sisler (UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin alumna, Never Too Young Taskforce member, and cancer survivor) wrote to share the value of preventive screenings.
Topic(s): Austin Nutrition
Content Type: Blog
Preventive colonoscopy saved my life – it could save yours too!

Did you know that you can prevent or reduce your risk for developing colorectal cancer (CRC)? In honor of Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month, Kat Sisler (UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin alumna, Never Too Young Taskforce member, and cancer survivor) shared the value of preventive screenings.
Topic(s): Austin Nutrition
Content Type: Blog
Leveraging out-of-school time to promote healthy movement behaviors for children and adolescents

What are students doing when school lets out for the day, on weekends, and during holiday and summer breaks?
Topic(s): Austin Physical Activity
Content Type: Blog
Can training attention improve students’ emotional well-being?

A recent study tested this question with a digital intervention called Finding Focus. High school students completed a series of short, interactive lessons and exercises designed to help them train their attention and use it to more skillfully navigate thoughts and emotions.
Topic(s): School-based Health Programs
Content Type: Blog
Moving Toward Transportation Justice

Researchers from the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living recently published a case study on the City of Austin’s process of dividing and prioritizing $27.5 million dollars for Safe Routes to School (SRTS) improvements from the 2016 Mobility Bond. To the authors’ knowledge, this was the largest amount of money allocated to SRTS improvements within one municipality to date. Council members chose to split the money equally across city council districts, so that improvements could be implemented across the city; however, data show that there might have been a better way to distribute the funds to more adequately address areas with greater need.
Topic(s): Physical Activity School-based Health Programs Safe Travel Environments Evaluation in Texas Schools
Content Type: Blog
Q&A: Former Dean and longtime Austin employees reflect on the location’s journey

Through the eyes of longtime friends and employees, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin has traced the journey from its modest beginnings to its current state-of-the-art facility. These personal accounts highlight successes and challenges, milestones, and the evolving vision that has shaped this vital public health institution in Central Texas.
Topic(s): Austin
Content Type: Blog
Texas SNAP-Ed Evaluation

Texas SNAP-Ed Evaluation, is a two-year project to evaluate, on a statewide basis, the effectiveness of SNAP-Ed nutrition education and obesity prevention programming activities delivered by Implementing Agencies throughout the state of Texas.
Topic(s): Nutrition Food Access Obesity
Content Type: Project
Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey (TX SPAN)

The Texas SPAN survey was established to track the prevalence of overweight and obese school-aged children in Texas.
Topic(s): Measurement Nutrition Physical Activity School-based Health Programs Food Access Obesity
Content Type: Project
Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial

The Teaching Kitchen Multisite Trial is a pilot study to evaluate a teaching kitchen-based lifestyle intervention as part of a randomized controlled Multisite Trial with adults with clinically defined obesity and one additional metabolic syndrome component.
Topic(s): Nutrition Food Access Obesity
Content Type: Project
South American Youth/Child Cardiovascular and Environmental (SAYCARE) Study

The SAYCARE study is an observational, multicenter, feasibility study, which was carried out in seven South American cities.
Topic(s): Community Development
Content Type: Project
Nourishing the Community Through Culinary Medicine

Nourishing the Community Through Culinary Medicine is a study to pilot test a virtual culinary medicine program with adults with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this study is to see how well synchronous but virtual hands-on healthy cooking classes work to help patients with diabetes improve cooking skills, change eating habits and control diabetes. All materials for this project, including our toolkit and recorded classes are available on the Nourish website.
Topic(s): Nutrition Food Access Obesity
Content Type: Project
Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Training Program

The key objective of developing the MCH training program is to address geographic disparities in access to MCH training for rural MCH professionals in the target areas of the HRSA Region VI (TX, NM, OK, AR, and LA) and the Upper Peninsula region of Michigan.
Topic(s): Family and Child Health
Content Type: Project
Fresh for Less Healthy Food Access Evaluation

Funded by Austin Public Health (APH), this project assesses Austin's multifaceted healthy food access initiative to enhance prioritization and refinement of efforts by APH.
Topic(s): Nutrition Community Development Food Access Obesity
Content Type: Project
CO-CREATE

The CO-CREATE study aims to prevent overweight and obesity in adolescents by providing knowledge and infrastructure on policies to support making the healthiest choices the preferred ones.
Topic(s): Nutrition Community Development School-based Health Programs Food Access Health Policy Obesity
Content Type: Project
Brighter Bites

This project is a collaborative effort to impact eating behavior among predominantly low-income families by introducing them to a routine distribution of fresh produce and corresponding education, ultimately to curb the childhood obesity epidemic.
Topic(s): Nutrition Community Development School-based Health Programs Food Access Obesity
Content Type: Project
Sociodemographic factors associated with attendance to Brighter Bites, a school-based food co-op nutrition intervention for low-income families

Rushing M., Chuang RJ., Markham C., Sharma SV. (2021) J Health Dispar Res Pract. 14(3): 73-88.
Topic(s): Brighter Bites Nutrition School-based Health Programs
Content Type: Publication
‘Food is joy’: Dr. Kofi Essel’s innovative approach to family wellness

As healthcare continues to evolve, Dr. Kofi Essel stands at the forefront of a transformative perspective that defines food as medicine. A pediatrician by training, Essel brings a unique, family-centered approach to his work addressing food insecurity and improving health outcomes.
Topic(s): Austin Nutrition Food Access
Content Type: Blog
Child Obesity in Texas infographic (One-Page Printable)

9/1/14 - Child obesity rates and statistics on obesity-related health behaviors from the 2009-2011 SPAN Survey.
Topic(s): Nutrition SPAN Survey Obesity
Content Type: Resource
Healthy Meeting Guide

3/1/18 - This fact sheet gives tips on how you can have healthy and active meetings at your business or organization.
Topic(s): Nutrition Food Access
Content Type: Resource
Integrating Physical Activity Every Day in Every Way (PDF)

5/1/12 - Physical activity is key to maintaining a healthy weight. The way that environments where we live, work, learn, and play are designed and built— for example, whether there are sidewalks or bike lanes—influences how physically active we are. Source: Institute of Medicine
Topic(s): Physical Activity Obesity
Content Type: Resource
Activating Employers (PDF)

5/1/12 - Employed adults spend a quarter of their lives at the workplace, making it an ideal setting for promoting healthy eating and active living. Obesity is increasing employer costs, economic and otherwise. Because employers bear direct medical and indirect productivity costs of obesity, they can benefit from promoting and increasing physical activity, healthy eating, breastfeeding, and overall well-being in the workplace. Source: Institute of Medicine
Topic(s): Family and Child Health Nutrition Physical Activity Obesity
Content Type: Resource
2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

1/1/08 - The Federal Government has issued its first-ever Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. They describe the types and amounts of physical activity that offer substantial health benefits to Americans.
Topic(s): Physical Activity Health Policy Obesity
Content Type: Resource
The Grocery Gap: Who Has Access to Healthy Food and Why it Matters (2010)

5/1/10 - The report from the Food Trust presents a comprehensive review of studies of Health Equity and Place and its impacts — 132 studies conducted in the United States in the past 20 years.
Topic(s): Nutrition Food Access Obesity
Content Type: Resource
Creando Una Cultura De Caminar Y Andar En Bicicleta

7/11/17 - Esta infografía describe la importancia de los eventos de "Calles abiertas" para promover la actividad física de la comunidad con andar en bicicleta y caminar.
Topic(s): Spanish Physical Activity
Content Type: Resource
Community Health Improvement Plan: Austin/Travis County

8/1/2018 - Where and how we live, work, play, and learn affects our health. Understanding how these factors influence health is critical for developing the best strategies to address them. To accomplish these goals, our community is undergoing a comprehensive community health planning effort to measurably improve the health of Austin/Travis County residents. This effort is led by Austin Pubic Health in collaboration with multiple organizations including UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin.
Topic(s): Community Development Health Policy
Content Type: Resource
Together We Thrive: Austin/Travis County Community Health Plan

12/1/2012 - Health is affected by where and how we live, work, play, and learn. Understanding these factors and how they influence health is critical to efforts aimed to improve the health of the community. Identifying the health issues of an area and their larger context and then developing a plan to address them are key steps in the larger health planning process. To accomplish these goals, Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services in collaboration with multiple organizations including UTHealth School of Public Health.
Topic(s): Community Development Health Policy
Content Type: Resource
Evaluation of the Austin/Travis County Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan

10/25/2016 - In 2011, Austin/Travis County (ATC) Health and Human Services launched the CHA/CHIP, a collaborative, 5-year community health assessment (CHA) and planning initiative (CHIP) aimed at identifying and prioritizing key health needs of residents in Austin/Travis County and developing and implementing a community-wide health improvement plan of action. In an effort to further document and evaluate the process, progress, and lessons learned of this first cycle, researchers at the Michael & Susan Dell Center for Healthy Living based at the UTHealth School of Public Health in Austin were contracted to conduct a posthoc stakeholder evaluation of the ATC CHA/CHIP (2011-2016).
Topic(s): Community Development Health Policy
Content Type: Resource
Fitness Measures and Health Outcomes in Youth

9/1/12 - In this report, the IOM assesses the relationship between youth fitness test items and health outcomes, recommends the best fitness test items, provides guidance for interpreting fitness scores, and provides an agenda for needed research.
Topic(s): Physical Activity
Content Type: Resource
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