CPH research

Sexual violence survivors often expect systems to fail or harm them, study finds

Heather Carroll — Wed, 07 Oct 2026 18:10:25 +0000

Sexual violence survivors often expect systems to fail or harm them, study finds Heather Carroll Wed, 10/07/2026 - 14:10

University survivors of sexual violence are forced to perform a constant, exhausting “calculus” — weighing risks, safety, stigma, emotional costs, institutional consequences, and likelihood of being believed — when deciding whether and how to seek help.

Assistant Professor of Social Work Sara Wilf. Photo provided.

New 911��-led research published in Violence Against Women helps to illuminate why so many survivors avoid reporting sexual violence, finding that most expect institutional systems to retraumatize them or fail them.

Drawing on participant responses from students in the University of California system who are survivors of sexual violence, researcher created the Survivors' Calculus as a framework describing factors shaping survivors’ decision-making on seeking support and resources. The Survivors’ Calculus demonstrates how institutional processes can place the burden of healing on survivors themselves.

"We created the Survivors’ Calculus to describe how, from the moment a survivor experiences sexual violence, they face structural barriers to accessing resources that will be safe and helpful for them, all while dealing with the initial trauma," said Sara Wilf, the study’s co-principal investigator and paper lead author, and assistant professor in the Department of Social Work.

Why this matters

On college campuses in the United States, one-fourth of undergraduate students report having experienced sexual violence, though the incidents often go unreported. Racially minoritized, gender diverse, LGBTQIA+, and cisgender women face the highest rates of sexual violence. As with any trauma, survivors' mental health and academic performance can be impacted.

Given the prevalence and impact of sexual violence on college campuses, researchers hope institutions will use this new model to understand how to support survivors in a way that does not retraumatize them.

"Survivors weigh different factors in their decisions for help-seeking, and we hope other researchers will use our framework to explore those factors within their own settings and institutions," said Wilf.

About the framework, Survivors' Calculus

The Survivors’ Calculus recognizes that survivors’ prior experiences can shape decision-making. The framework centers on four themes:

Navigating Self-Realization, Self-Investigation, and the Repercussions of Reporting;
Seeking Emotional and Professional Support;
Managing Logistical Support and Concerns about Confidentiality; and
Experiencing Re-Traumatization through the Title IX Office and Police.

Additional research and findings details

The framework was developed as part of a broader study examining survivors' experiences seeking support within university systems. Through surveys of students, faculty, and staff in the University of California system across several campuses, researchers explored which organizations and people were most and least helpful for survivors of sexual violence, in their own words, and the reasons that prevent survivors from seeking support. Additional findings included:

Survivors desire confidential, trauma-informed resources that match their social identities and experiences.
Survivors are often retraumatized by reporting resources, such as the police and Title IX office, which can be more often focused on punishing perpetrators rather than centering survivor healing.
Survivors holding marginalized social identities, such as LGBTQIA+ and racially minoritized survivors, face greater structural barriers than their peers to accessing safe and trauma-informed resources.
LGBTQIA+ and racially minoritized survivors have greater fear of reporting resources, and have a worse experience when they do utilize them.
Survivors consistently identified confidential campus survivor advocates and therapists as the most helpful for their healing.

“Our findings, particularly in advancing a wraparound approach to supporting survivors and highlighting survivors’ desire for confidential advocates who share their important identities, can directly support policymakers, education leaders, social workers, and community organizations in ensuring survivors are not shouldering the burden of navigating resources on their own,” said Wilf.

Co-authors include Kalani Philips from the University of California, Irvine, Laura Knittig from Sam Houston State University; Leila Chiddick, Rachel LaPointe, and Victoria Copeland from the University of California, Los Angeles; Rina Rossi from CUNY; and Stephanie Kathan from California State University. This study received funding from the UCLA Center for the Study of Women| Barbra Streisand Center, the UCLA Frank D. Gilliam Jr. Social Justice Award, and the UCLA Bruin Advocacy Grant Award.

Key Takeaways

911�� researcher Sara Wilf led the development of the Survivors’ Calculus, a new framework that shows how survivors of sexual violence weigh risks, stigma, safety, and institutional consequences when deciding whether to seek help.
The study found that many survivors do not report sexual violence because they expect campus systems, including reporting processes, to retraumatize them or fail to meet their needs.
Wilf and her colleagues hope the framework will help colleges and universities create more confidential, trauma-informed, and survivor-centered support systems that reduce barriers to healing.

More About Sexual Assault Survivors on College Campuses

Sexual violence survivors often expect systems to fail or harm them, study finds
October 7, 2026

Topics

College of Public Health

How political, cultural, and economic forces can shape the risk of zoonotic disease

Heather Carroll — Mon, 05 Oct 2026 18:37:43 +0000

How political, cultural, and economic forces can shape the risk of zoonotic disease Heather Carroll Mon, 10/05/2026 - 14:37

In eastern Ethiopia, pressures like conflict and displacement are changing how people and their camels travel, shifting livestock into new environments and potentially influencing the risk of zoonotic diseases spreading between animals and humans.

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH. Photo provided

A new study co-led by 911�� infectious disease expert Amira Roess explores these connections as part of a broader look at how politics, culture, economics, and international trade factor into zoonotic disease risk in livestock-herding communities. Published in Social Science & Medicine, the research is part of a long-running international collaboration funded in part by a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant, for which Roess is principal investigator.

For this paper, researchers interviewed more than 100 people involved in camel herding, care, milking, trading, and slaughter across eastern Ethiopia. They identified several factors that could affect zoonotic disease risk:

People and camels often live in close proximity, and grazing camels can come into contact with other wildlife.
Raw camel milk is widely consumed fresh and unpasteurized.
Conflict and displacement can push people and livestock onto new routes and into wildlife preserves, changing where they encounter other animals.
Trade restrictions and challenges accessing export facilities can push more activity into informal markets outside of disease surveillance systems.

Because diseases that spread between animals and humans account for most emerging infectious diseases, the researchers emphasize the importance of a “One Health” approach, which considers human, animal, and environmental health together.

“When we think about diseases moving between animals and people, we tend to focus on the pathogen or the animal carrying it. This study shows why we also need to understand the broader and more complex circumstances that affect how people and animals interact,” said Roess, professor of global health and epidemiology in the Department of Global and Community Health at the College of Public Health.

Read the full study here.

Thumbnail provided by Gaper

This research supports the Grand Challenge Initiative's goal of improving human health, well-being, and preparedness

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Key Takeaways

Conflict, displacement, cultural practices, and international trade can change the interactions of people, livestock, and wildlife, potentially influencing zoonotic disease risk.
The study of camel economies in eastern Ethiopia highlights the importance of a One Health approach that considers human, animal, and environmental health together.

In This Story

Amira Roess, PhD, MPH

Topics

GCH Global Health Research

Global Health

Research

College of Public Health

GCI-Health

National Science Foundation

NIH R01 grant funds study of physical activity and binge eating in children

Heather Carroll — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 18:12:51 +0000

NIH R01 grant funds study of physical activity and binge eating in children Heather Carroll Mon, 09/14/2026 - 14:12

Early signs of binge eating can emerge as children enter adolescence, signaling risk for eating disorders. 911�� researcher Tyler Mason is investigating whether physical activity could improve self-regulation and, in turn, reduce that risk.

Tyler Mason, associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies. Photo provided.

With a five-year, R01 grant from NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health, Mason will use wearable technology and other real-time assessments to study children during a pivotal developmental window, with the goal of better understanding how eating disorders develop and how to intervene earlier.

Mason, an associate professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies at the College of Public Health, is leading the project with co-principal investigator Kathryn Smith, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Dallas.

“Many people overeat, but we’re focused on what is called ‘loss of control eating’—that sense that you can’t stop eating and feel like you have to continue,” Mason said. “The loss of control is the part that can be distressing and associated with eating disorders.”

Previous research has linked physical activity with improved mood and cognitive functioning, aspects of self-regulation that can influence eating behavior. “If physical activity improves aspects of self-regulation, then perhaps it could reduce overeating because of loss of control,” Mason said.

Over three years, researchers will study 200 children in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area starting at ages 10 to 12, a phase when several factors converge: puberty begins, autonomy grows in eating choices, and physical activity tends to decline while sedentary behavior increases.

The study will capture both long-term changes and moment-to-moment shifts in participants’ lives. Garmin wristbands will measure physical activity, while smartphone-based cognitive tests and real-time surveys will track self-regulation, emotions, cravings, and eating behavior. Participants will also undergo functional MRI (fMRI) scans and clinical interviews assessing eating disorder symptoms.

The approach builds on Mason’s work as director of the BREAD Lab at 911��, short for Biobehavioral Research on Eating and Appetite Dysregulation, within the Department of Nutrition and Food Studies.

With the National Institutes of Health study, Mason said the goal is to find ways to intervene earlier in problematic eating by understanding whether and how physical activity plays a role, including how its effects unfold in daily moments.

In addition to Mason and Smith, the research team for the study—titled “Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Activity and Loss of Control Eating in Children”—includes Shan Luo, Genevieve Dunton, and Megan Herting of the University of Southern California.

Thumbnail photo by golubovy via Adobe Stock

Topics

Nutrition Research

Childhood Obesity

CPH research

Childhood obesity prevention

NIH grant funding

National Institutes of Health

Research

College of Public Health

GCI-Health

In the George

Key Takeaways

A five-year NIH R01 grant will fund 911�� researcher Tyler Mason’s study of physical activity, self-regulation, and binge eating in children.
The study will follow 200 children starting at ages 10 to 12, examining long-term changes and moment-to-moment behaviors in daily life.
The research could inform new approaches to eating disorder prevention, including whether and how physical activity could reduce the risk of losing control of eating.

This research supports the Grand Challenge Initiative's goal of improving human health, well-being, and preparedness

Discover more GCI health research

Learn about other solutions >>

Childhood adversity may put women at higher risk for postpartum depression years later

Heather Carroll — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 16:39:13 +0000

Childhood adversity may put women at higher risk for postpartum depression years later Heather Carroll Wed, 08/26/2026 - 12:39

Key Takeaways

In a 911��-led study, women exposed to multiple types of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported the highest levels of postpartum depressive symptoms.
Despite their higher risk, women with greater childhood adversity were no more likely to receive postpartum depression screening than their peers.
The findings suggest that considering a woman’s history of ACEs could help cliniciansidentifywomen who could benefit from more frequent depression screening and earlier support.

The effects of childhood trauma may persist for decades, resurfacing during one of life's most demanding transitions: becoming a mother.

A 911��-led study found that women who had experienced multiple forms of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) reported the highest levels of postpartum depressive symptoms. But despite those elevated risks, these women were no more likely to receive postpartum depression screening than their peers.

"The effects of ACEs may not fade simply because time has passed," said Sunny Shin, professor of social work at the 911�� College of Public Health and the study's lead author. "They may persist and resurface when women face the profound physical and emotional demands of motherhood."

The findings, published in The Journal of Childhood & Adolescent Trauma, suggest that asking women about childhood adversity in a sensitive and supportive way may help clinicians identify mothers who could benefit from more frequent depression screening and earlier support.

Why it matters

Postpartum depression affects millions of women worldwide and can have serious consequences, including disrupted maternal-child bonding and long-term cognitive, emotional, and behavioral problems in children. Untreated perinatal mood and anxiety disorders also carry an estimated $14 billion economic burden during the first five years after childbirth.

"This study identified a potential gap between risk and care," Shin said. "Women at higher risk for depressive symptoms may not be receiving more targeted screening."

Further study details

The study analyzed data from 427 diverse, predominantly low-income young women participating in the Longitudinal Infant and Family Environment (LIFE) study.

Rather than simply counting the total number of ACEs each participant reported, the researchers examined how different types of adversity tended to group together. They identified three distinct patterns of childhood adversity and found that women with high exposure to multiple types of ACEs reported the highest levels of postpartum depressive symptoms.

According to Shin, this person-centered approach provides a more nuanced understanding of risk than relying solely on a cumulative ACE score because it captures the ways childhood adversities can cluster together.

The research builds on Shin's longstanding work examining how adverse experiences in childhood impact health across the life course, with the goal of translating that knowledge into trauma-informed prevention and intervention strategies. For this study, he collaborated with researchers from Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Louisville, Gachon University in South Korea, and Masaryk University in the Czech Republic.

Thumbnail photo by leszekglasner on Adobe Stock

Topics

College of Public Health

Can laws make social media safer for young people?

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 24 Aug 2026 13:33:58 +0000

Can laws make social media safer for young people? Mary Cunningham Mon, 08/24/2026 - 09:33

In This Story

Melissa L. Villodas, PhD, LMSW, LCSW-A

Key Takeaways

A 911��-led study identified three main approaches U.S. states are using to protect youth online: limiting access, reducing harmful exposure, and teaching media literacy.
Most enacted laws focused on age verification and parental consent, though evidence supporting those approaches remains limited.
Media literacy appeared in just one state law, despite evidence suggesting it may be one of the more promising strategies for supporting youth mental health.

Topics

College of Public Health

SW research

In the George

From TikTok bans and age verification requirements to media literacy lessons in schools, U.S. states are exploring a wide range of strategies to protect young people online.

The flurry of legislation reflects growing concern about social media's role in youth mental health, as rates of depression and anxiety have increased in recent years. But policy approaches have varied considerably, and the scientific evidence backing their effectiveness is mixed.

Melissa Villodas, assistant professor of Social Work. Photo provided.

To better understand how states are responding, a research team led by social work researcher Melissa Villodas of 911��’s College of Public Health analyzed 16 enacted laws across 10 states. The study, published in The Journal of Policy Practice and Research, offers one of the first frameworks for organizing and assessing the growing patchwork of state social media laws.

Researchers found the policies generally fell into three broad categories:

1) Limiting access through measures like parental consent requirements, age verification, internet restrictions in school, and, in one case in Montana, an attempted ban on TikTok. This was by far the most common approach, despite relatively limited evidence that many of these measures improve mental health for young people.

2) Reducing harmful exposure by restricting targeted advertising to minors, limiting potentially addictive platform features, and expanding parental controls. Existing research offers somewhat stronger, though still mixed, support for these approaches.

3) Building media literacy by teaching students about topics such as misinformation, cyberbullying, online safety, and social media's effects on mental health. This was the least common approach, even though existing evidence suggests it may be a promising strategy, particularly when it addresses both the risks and benefits of social media use.

Why does this matter?

"Most research on this topic has focused directly on how social media affects young people's mental health," said Villodas, associate professor in the Department of Social Work and the study's lead author. "We wanted to understand what state governments are actually doing in response, whether those approaches are supported by existing evidence, and where additional research is needed.” She also emphasized the study’s “person-in-environment” perspective, a fundamental approach in social work that considers how broader forces, including public policy, can influence a young person’s experiences and mental health.

The study uncovered one glaring disconnect: the policy approach used most often, limiting young people's access, had the least supporting evidence of its effectiveness. Meanwhile, media literacy training, included in just one enacted law in Florida, appeared to have some of the strongest evidence behind it.

"Many states have focused on measures like parental consent and age verification, but the evidence for those strategies is still limited," Villodas said. "Media literacy has received much less attention, even though it may be one of the more promising approaches when it teaches young people about both the risks and the benefits of social media."

The study captures the policy landscape through November 2024, but Villodas said its findings are designed to help policymakers evaluate future proposals as the evidence continues to evolve.

In addition to Villodas, the study was coauthored by Michael Wheeler and Natalia Acevedo, both recent graduates of 911��’s Master of Social Work program; Fadi Hamati of Columbia Cornell Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York-Presbyterian; and Ishita Kapur of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Shame, stigma, and culture prevent male intimate partner violence survivors from seeking help, study finds

Heather Carroll — Wed, 12 Aug 2026 17:05:28 +0000

Shame, stigma, and culture prevent male intimate partner violence survivors from seeking help, study finds Heather Carroll Wed, 08/12/2026 - 13:05

911�� researchers found that barriers to help-seeking vary across racial and ethnic groups, highlighting gaps in support for male survivors.

Lyric Russo, postdoctoral researcher. Photo provided

Men are less likely than women to seek help after experiencing intimate partner violence, and new research from 911�� found that the main barriers include viewing it as a private matter, fear of retaliation, shame, and concerns about not being believed.

In this study, postdoctoral researcher Lyric Russo explored these barriers across racial and ethnic groups in order to address gaps in research in these underrepresented demographics.

“By centering men’s perspectives across racial and ethnic backgrounds, the findings support a more inclusive understanding of intimate partner violence and underscore the importance of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and gender-inclusive interventions that broaden access to and engagement with existing services,” said Russo, first author on a paper recently published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities.

This study is among the first large-scale (nearly 1,200 men) U.S. studies to compare help-seeking barriers among non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White male victims of intimate partner violence. The study was led and paper co-authored by acclaimed male IPV researcher Denise Hines.

Why does this matter?

Denise Hines, Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor. Photo provided

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 44% of men report being victims of IPV, but many of these men are not receiving support, highlighting the significance of understanding barriers to seeking help.

“By identifying the challenges to seeking support, the findings can help inform more effective and inclusive services for diverse groups of male victims,” said Hines, Elisabeth Shirley Enochs Endowed Professor of Social Work.

“Without focused research, interventions, and support services may fail to reflect the experiences and needs of male victims,” said Russo.

What are the detailed study findings?

Across all racial and ethnic categories, viewing abuse as a private matter was the most common barrier to seeking help.
Latino men were significantly more likely to express concerns about shame or embarrassment being a barrier.
Black men were less likely to report concerns about not being believed.
White men were more likely to report difficulty in labeling their experiences as abuse.

Additional details

The paper, Barriers to Help-Seeking Among Male Victims of Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence: Insights from Black, Latino, and White Men, was published in Psychology of Men & Masculinities. The paper was selected as the July 2026 editor’s choice article and invited for a research feature on the APA Division 51 (Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinities) blog. It is available free of charge. Paper co-authors include Jennifer L. Mezzapelle of 911��, Chiara Sabina of Rutgers University, Kerry A. Lee of Bryn Mawr College, and Emily M. Douglas of Montclair State University.

thumbnail provided by Nadeem from AdobeStock

Key Takeaways

Across racial and ethnic groups, the main barriers to men seeking help for intimate partner violence are viewing it as a private matter, fear of retaliation, shame, and concerns about not being believed.
This study is among the first large-scale (nearly 2,000 men) U.S. studies to compare help-seeking barriers among non-Latino Black, Latino, and non-Latino White men victims of intimate partner violence.
By identifying the challenges that may prevent men from accessing intimate partner violence support, the findings can help inform more effective and inclusive services for male victims.

In This Story

Denise Hines, PhD

Topics

Intimate Partner Violence

College of Public Health

CPH research

SW research

Postdocs

Can AI help make medical records less biased? New study suggests yes—with caveats

Heather Carroll — Fri, 10 Jul 2026 16:50:49 +0000

Can AI help make medical records less biased? New study suggests yes—with caveats Heather Carroll Fri, 07/10/2026 - 12:50

Large language models can identify judgmental language in clinical notes but the settings play a major role in accuracy.

Teenu Xavier PhD, RN. Photo provided

“Addict,” “non-compliant,” “failed treatment,” and “obese person” are examples of stigmatizing language that can appear in medical records. At 911��’s College of Public Health, researchers are exploring whether artificial intelligence (AI) can help identify this kind of language in clinical notes before it impacts patient care.

Nurse scientist Teenu Xavier and colleagues found that large language models (LLMs) show promise in identifying stigmatizing language in clinical documentation, but their performance is highly dependent on their settings. Model size, temperature settings, prompting strategies, and even note type can substantially influence results.

One finding was consistent across every model tested: Providing examples of stigmatizing language improved accuracy.

“Simply selecting an LLM is not enough when used for clinical documentation,” said Xavier, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing. “Careful attention must be paid to settings and prompting before these tools can be reliably used in health care environments.”

Why does this matter?

The use of stigmatizing language in clinical documentation can reinforce bias and affect a patient’s future care. AI tools may be able to help identify this kind of language, promoting more equitable care and improving patient trust and experience.

“Pre-trained models, when optimized for identifying stigmatizing language, could help enable more timely interventions and modifications to the documentation process,” Xavier said. “Our research highlights the need for continued collaboration between health care professionals and AI developers to create tools that improve communication, reduce bias, and improve the overall patient experience.”

What are the detailed study findings?

The largest LLM (trained on large amounts of data) was the best at predicting “stigmatizing” language (94%), but the worst at predicting “not stigmatizing” correctly (47%).
The smallest LLM was the best at predicting “not stigmatizing” correctly (99.7%), but worst at predicting “stigmatizing” correctly (2%).
When researchers gave the LLM an example of stigmatizing language, accuracy improved in all models.
Emergency provider notes were most accurately (69%) categorized as “stigmatizing” or “non-stigmatizing,” and plan of care notes had the lowest accuracy (56%). Misclassifications most commonly arose in long, clinically dense notes where neutral descriptions of complex illness or adverse events were mistaken by the models for judgmental language.
Larger models worked best at lower temperature (how predictable or random the LLMs’s output is when making a classification) and smaller models improved with higher temperature, which means the LLM took more risks in interpretation.

“Detecting stigmatizing language with large language models: mind the settings” was published in JAMIA Open in April 2026. Co-authors include Jane M. Carrington from the University of Florida and Joshua Lambert from the University of Cincinnati.

Thumbnail photo by issaronow from Adobe Stock.

Key Takeaways

A 911�� study found that large language models show promise in identifying stigmatizing language in clinical documentation, but their performance is highly dependent on their settings, such as model size, temperature settings, prompting strategies, and note type.
The ability to detect and correct stigmatizing language early can reduce bias in patient care and lead to improved patient trust and better health outcomes.
Continued collaboration between health care workers and AI developers is needed to create tools that enhance communication, reduce bias, and improve the overall patient experience.

Learn about Artificial Intelligence at 911��

Topics

large language models

Machine Learning in Health Care

Health Care Services

College of Public Health

Artificial Intelligence

Research

CPH research

Nursing Research

Sleep problems in dementia care linked more to emotional well-being than fear of falling

Heather Carroll — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 17:27:48 +0000

Sleep problems in dementia care linked more to emotional well-being than fear of falling Heather Carroll Tue, 07/07/2026 - 13:27

Key Takeaways

For dementia care recipients, positive emotion was associated with better sleep, while psychological distress, like depression and anxiety, was associated with worse sleep among caregivers.
Though the study found that fear of falling was associated with poorer sleep for both partners, emotional well-being ultimately showed a stronger association with sleep than fear of falling itself.
This study by 911�� researcher Kyeung Mi Oh is the first to examine the relationships between fear of falling in older adults with probable or possible dementia and the subjective sleep quality of both care recipients and their spousal caregivers.

In This Story

Kyeung Mi Oh, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN

While fear of falling has long been linked to poor sleep among older adults, new research from 911�� suggests emotional well-being may be an even stronger predictor of sleep quality for people with dementia and the spouses who care for them.

Dementia researcher Kyeung Mi Oh, professor in the School of Nursing. Photo provided.

In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, dementia researcher Kyeung Mi Oh examined how fear of falling and sleep quality interact within dementia caregiving couples where one partner has probable or possible dementia and the other serves as caregiver.

Falls are a common concern among older adults and can lead to reduced mobility, more frequent hospital visits, and limits on daily activities. Many individuals also develop a persistent fear of falling, causing them to avoid activities even when they are physically able. In dementia care, that fear can further increase caregiver burden and affect sleep for both partners.

Though the study found that fear of falling was associated with poorer sleep for both partners, emotional well-being ultimately was more strongly linked to sleep outcomes.

Why does this matter?

“These findings suggest that improving emotional well-being may be more important for sleep health in dementia care dyads than addressing physical health factors alone,” said Oh, professor of Nursing in 911��’s College of Public Health.

For care recipients, positive emotion was associated with better sleep, while psychological distress, like depression and anxiety, was associated with worse sleep among caregivers.

The results highlight the importance of assessing both physical and emotional factors in dementia care.

“Routine assessment of fear of falling, fall history, and psychological distress in both members of dementia care couples could help identify those at risk for poor sleep,” said Oh. “Clinically, interventions that promote emotional well-being and reduce psychological distress may improve sleep for both care recipients and caregivers, highlighting the need for a family-centered approach to dementia care.”

Key Findings:

Fear of falling was associated with poor sleep; however, after factoring in demographic, lifestyle, and health-related factors, positive emotion predicted lower insomnia severity in care recipients, while psychological distress predicted higher insomnia severity in caregivers.
Both fear of falling and recent falls were linked to worse insomnia for people with dementia and their caregivers.

Yeonsu Song from the University of California, Los Angeles co-authored the paper, “Fear of Falling and Sleep Disturbances in Spousal Care Dyads Affected by Dementia,” which was first published online in January 2026 in the Journal of Applied Gerontology.

Thumbnail photo By Koto Amatsukami from Adobe Stock.

Topics

College of Public Health

CPH research

Nursing Research

Maternal obesity linked to 64% increase in childhood obesity risk

Mary Cunningham — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:16:36 +0000

Maternal obesity linked to 64% increase in childhood obesity risk Mary Cunningham Mon, 06/22/2026 - 11:16

The roots of childhood obesity may begin in the womb.

New research led by the 911�� College of Public Health found that children whose mothers entered pregnancy with obesity were 64% more likely to become overweight or obese by age 3. Excessive weight gain during pregnancy was associated with a 39% increase in that risk.

Participant in 911��'s cohort of NIH's Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO). Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

“Our findings suggest that childhood obesity risk may not develop in a single, uniform way, but maternal health before and during pregnancy may play a larger role than many people realize,” said study lead author Hua Min, associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy.

Different pregnancy-related weight factors appeared to matter at different stages, with excess pregnancy weight gain more closely linked to infant weight and maternal obesity more strongly associated with weight later in toddlerhood.

Researchers also found that excess pregnancy weight gain was common, affecting about four in 10 mothers in the study.

Published in the International Journal of Obesity, the research is among the largest and most ethnically diverse U.S. longitudinal studies to examine how maternal weight may influence obesity risk in early childhood. Researchers tracked nearly 3,000 mother-child pairs, using data from a Northern Virginia birth cohort participating in the National Institutes of Health’s Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program.

The 911�� research team included Michael S. Bloom of the Department of Global and Community Health, and Grace Lawrence, Alma Fuller and Kathi C. Huddleston of the School of Nursing.

Why this matters

Researchers in 911��'s cohort of NIH's Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO). Photo by Evan Cantwell/Office of University Branding

Childhood obesity remains one of the most pressing health challenges in the United States. The study notes that nearly 90% of children with obesity at age 3 will continue to be overweight or obese into early adulthood. Those early patterns can carry long-term consequences, increasing risks for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic health problems.

Researchers say the findings reinforce the importance of maternal health before and during pregnancy—not just for pregnancy outcomes, but also for a child’s long-term health trajectory. The findings also suggest that obesity risk may develop differently across populations, with patterns varying among demographic groups.

Study details

Findings were based on the First Thousand Days of Life Study, a Northern Virginia birth cohort participating in the ECHO Program, which examines how early-life experiences affect child health. 911�� was selected as an ECHO research site in 2019.

Researchers enrolled 2,899 mother-child pairs in Northern Virginia between 2012 and 2019, following families from pregnancy through age 3.

Key findings include:

Children whose mothers were obese before pregnancy were 64% more likely to be overweight or obese by age 3.

For every one-point increase in maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), childhood overweight/obesity risk increased by about 4%.

Children whose mothers gained excessive weight during pregnancy were about 39% more likely to be overweight or obese by age 3.

About 41% of mothers in the study gained more weight during pregnancy than recommended by national guidelines.

Excess weight gain during pregnancy showed stronger links to higher weight earlier in infancy, while maternal weight before pregnancy became more strongly associated with higher child weight later in early childhood.

The associations between maternal weight factors and childhood obesity differed between Hispanic and non-Hispanic families, suggesting that obesity risk may develop differently across populations.

Key Takeaways

Maternal obesity and excessive pregnancy weight gain were both linked to higher childhood obesity risk.
Researchers found obesity risk patterns varied across developmental stages and demographic groups.
An NIH-supported 911�� study followed nearly 3,000 Northern Virginia mother-child pairs from pregnancy through age 3.