Personal Statement
I am a Distinguished Professor of Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences at San Diego State University’s Graduate School of Public Health, where I direct the Institute for Behavioral and Community Health (IBACH). I also serve as Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and am an Adjunct Professor at the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California in Tijuana, Mexico. I am bilingual in English and Spanish, and have over 30 years of experience in health promotion research, much of which has focused on chronic disease prevention in the Hispanic community. I have published 340 articles, chapters and books on this and related topics. I currently lead several federally funded grants, including the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities “Mentoring Diverse Students in Health Disparities Research” with a special emphasis on mentoring underrepresented students and NaRCH in particular. In addition, I am the principal investigator to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-funded San Diego Prevention Research Center (the only PRC to focus exclusively on Latino health) and the NIDDK-funded Clinical Behavioral Approach to Overweight Latino Youth. Further, I serve as Co-Principal Investigator of the Hispanic Community Health Study’s (HCHS/SOL) San Diego site. I am also Leader of the Health Disparities Program at the internationally recognized Moores UCSD Cancer Center. I have a Ph.D. in Child Clinical Psychology from West Virginia University and an M.P.H. from Boston University. I have done extensive research in the prevention of health risk behaviors among Latino youth, most notably with the NCI-funded Sembrando Salud: program for migrant Hispanic adolescents, recognized by DHHS (SAMSHA) as a “model program”. I was the Principal Investigator on the NHLBI-funded study Obesity Prevention in Latino Home and Community Environments (Aventuras para Niños). In addition to the projects mentioned, I was Principal Investigator of a number of NCI and NHLBI-funded grants, including the Trial of Activity for Adolescents Girls (TAAG), an NHLBI-funded cooperative agreement. I have worked with Drs. Arredondo, Ayala, Ji, and Marshall on several of these projects, and this has shown to be a productive collaboration among various disciplines.
Positions and Honors
Positions and Employment
1978 – 1980 Director, Adult Services, FMRS Mental Health Council (WV)
1980 – 1984 Intervention Director, Pawtucket Heart Health Program
1982 – 1984 Assistant Professor of Community Medicine (Research), Brown University
1984 – Present Assistant Professor to Distinguished Professor, Division of Health Promotion & Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University (SDSU; Head of the Division, 1989-2003).
1986 – 1995 Senior Technical Advisor, Health Communications for Child Survival (HEALTHCOM) Project, USAID/Academy for Educational Development (Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Honduras, Guatemala, Ecuador and Yemen)
1987 – Present Director, Center for Behavioral and Community Health Studies, San Diego State University
1993 – Present Adjunct Professor, UCSD School of Medicine
1996 – 1998 Acting Director, Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University
1999 – 2000 Invited Professor, Escuela Nacional de Sanidad [National School of Public Health], Madrid, Spain
2004 – Present Coordinator, Doctoral Program in Health Behavior, SDSU
2004 – Present Director, San Diego Prevention Research Center
2005 – Present Adjunct Professor, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California (UABC), Mexico
2006 – Present Leader, Health Disparities Program, UCSD Moores Cancer Center
2006 – Present Adjunct Professor, Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of California, San Diego
2009 – Present Distinguished Professor of Public Health, San Diego State University
Selected Honors
Phi Beta Kappa, 1973
Breakthrough Award for Creativity for the Honduras ARI Control Program, Academy for Educational Development, 1989
Sembrando Salud selected as an “Effective Program” by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMSHA) National Registry, June 13, 2003
Research Laureate, 3rd Annual Award by the American Academy of Health Behavior, 2003
Distinguished Professor of Public Health, Albert W. Johnson Lecturer, SDSU, 2009
Peer-reviewed Publications (selected from more than 300 peer-reviewed publications)
Elder, J.P., Campbell, N.R., Candelaria, J.I., Talavera, G.A., Mayer, J.A., Moreno, C., Medel, Y.R., & Lyons, G.K. (1998). Project Salsa: development and institutionalization of a nutritional health promotion project in a Latino community. American Journal of Health Promotion, 12(6), 391-401. PMCID 10182091
Elder, J.P., Candelaria, J., Woodruff, S.I., Criqui, M., Talavera, G., & Rupp, J. (2000). Results of Language for Health: cardiovascular disease nutrition education for Latino English-as-a-second-language students. Health Education & Behavior, 27(1), 50-63. PMCID10709792
Elder, J.P., & Cortés, M. (2000). Póliticas públicas saludables: El caso del tabaco. In Sarría A (Ed): Promoción de la Salud en la Comunidad. Madrid: Universidad Nacional de Educación a la Distancia.
Elder, J.P., Cortés Blanco, M., Sarria Santamera, A. (2000). Marco legislativo y estrategia de la industria tabaquera en relacíon a la publicidad del tabaco en España. Revísta Española de Salud Pública, 74, 497-506.
Litrownik, A.J., Elder, J., Campbell, N., Ayala, G.X., Slymen, D., Parra–Medina, D., Zavala, F., & Lovato, C. (2000). “Evaluation of a Tobacco and Alcohol Use Prevention Program for Hispanic Migrant Adolescents: Promoting the Protective Factor of Parent–Child Communication.” Preventive Medicine 31(2):124–33.
Elder, J.P., Campbell, N., Litrownik, A., Ayala, G., Slymen, D., Parra-Medina, D., & Lovato, C. (2000). Predictors of cigarette and alcohol susceptibility and use among Hispanic migrant adolescents. Preventive Medicine, 31(2), 115-123. PMCID10938211
Elder, J.P., Litrownik, A., Slymen, D., Campbell, N., Parra-Medina, D., Choe, S., Lee, V., & Ayala, G. (2002). Tobacco and alcohol use prevention program for Hispanic migrant adolescents. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 23(4), 269-275. PMCID12406481
Elder, J.P. (2003). Reaching out to America's immigrants: Community health advisors and health communication. American Journal of Health Behavior, 27(S3), S196-S205. PMCID14672380
Elder, J.P., Broyles, S.L., Brennan, J.J., Zúñiga de Nuncio, M.L., & Nader, P.R. (2005). Acculturation, parent–child acculturation differential, and chronic disease risk factors in a Mexican-American population. Journal of Immigrant Health, 7(1), 1-9. PMID15744472
Elder, J.P., Ayala, G.X., Campbell, N., Slymen, D., Lopez-Madurga, E.T., & Engelberg, M. (2005). Interpersonal and print nutrition communication for a Spanish-dominant Latino population: Secretos de la Buena Vida. Health Psychology, 24(1), 49-57. PMCID 15631562
Ayala, G.X., Mueller, K., Lopez-Madurga, E., Campbell, N.R., & Elder, J.P. (2005). Restaurant and food shopping selections among Latinas in Southern California. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 105(1), 38-45. PMCID15635343
Ayala, G.X., Mickens, L., Galindo, P., & Elder, J.P. (2006). Acculturation and body image perception among Latino youth and adolescents. Ethnicity and Health, 12(1), 21-41. PMCID17132583
Elder, J.P., Ayala, G.X., Campbell, N., Arredondo, E., Slymen, D., Baquero, B., Zive, M., Ganiats, T., & Engelberg, M. (2006). Long-term effects of a communication intervention for Spanish-dominant Latinas. American Journal of Preventive Medicine; 31(2), 139-166. PMCID16829333
Elder, J.P., Ayala, G.X., Slymen, D.J., Arredondo, E., & Campbell, N.R. (2007). Evaluating psychosocial and behavioral mechanisms of change in a tailored communication intervention. Health Education and Behavior. Epub ahead of print 2007 Dec 12. PMCID18077657
Elder, J.P., Arredondo, E.M., Campbell, N., Baquero, B., Duerksen, S., Ayala, G.X., Crespo, N.C., Slymen, D., & McKenzie, T. (2009). Individual, family, and community environmental correlates of obesity in Hispanic elementary school children. Journal of School Health, 80(1), 20-30. PMCID20051087
Elder, J.P., Ayala, G.X., Parra-Medina, D. & Talavera, G. (2009). Health communication in the Latino community: issues and approaches. Annual Review of Public Health, 30, 227-251. PMCID19296776
Research Support
Ongoing Research Support
1U18DP003377-01 (Ayala, PI) 09/29/11-09/28/15
CDC
An Ecological Approach to Addressing Childhood Obesity in Imperial County
This study will evaluate a multi-sector, multi-level intervention to address childhood obesity in Imperial County, the county with the highest rates of childhood obesity in the State of California. The intervention goal is to develop a childhood obesity chronic care model that recognizes the communities’ assets and needs. Our evaluation goal is to assess the efficacy of the intervention on the body mass index (BMI) z-scores of 1440 children 2- to 10-years old over a two-year period.
Role on Project: Co-Principal Investigator
R25MD006853-01 (Elder, PI) 07/01/11 – 06/30/16
NIH/NIMHD
Mentoring Diverse Students in Health Disparities Research
A 5-year IBACH Training and Mentoring Program will enroll a total of 40 undergraduate and graduate students underrepresented in research to pursue higher level academic or career opportunities that contribute to reducing health disparities.
Role on Project: Principal Investigator
R01 (Ayala, PI) 04/11/10 – 11/30/14
NIH/NHLBI
Hispanic Community Health Study: Ancillary Study of Latino Youth (SOL-Youth)
This study will assess the health of Latino youth whose parents/caregivers are involved in the Hispanic Community Health Study.
Role on Project: Co-Principal Investigator
1 R25 HL105430-01 (Elder & Talavera, PIs) 09/30/10 – 09/29/14
NIH/NHLBI
Investing in America's Future: Mentoring Latinos in Health Disparities Research
This program involves a series of trainings and mentoring activities for new Latino researchers interested in Latino health and health disparities research as related to cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other conditions associated with CVD risk factors.
1 R01DK084331-01A1 (Elder & Talavera, PIs) 05/01/10 – 03/31/15
NIH/NIDDK
Clinical/Behavioral Approach to Overweight Latino Youth
This randomized controlled trial will test the efficacy of a culturally and linguistically appropriate, evidence-based intervention to slow weight gain or promote weight loss among 390 overweight 6-9 year old Mexican-American children.
1R01CA138894-01A1 (Arredondo, PI) 03/03/10 – 02/28/15
NIH/NCI
Promoting Physical Activity among Churchgoing Latinas
This study proposes to examine the impact of a multi-level intervention on Latinas’ physical activity. The intervention will train promotoras from churches to develop programs within the church and advocate for environmental changes around the church.
Role on Project: Co-Investigator
U48 DP001917-01 SIP 09-025 (Elder, PI) 09/30/09 – 09/29/13
CDC/PRC
Chronic Disease Prevention in Mexico and the US Latino Population
The study team will adapt the “Guide for Useful Intervention for Physical Activity in Latin America” (GUIA) to conduct research and develop practice-based networks focused on the prevention of chronic disease in Mexico and the US Latino population.
1R18DP002138-01 (Marshall, PI) 09/15/09 – 09/14/13
CDC/NCCDPHP
A Translation Study of the Academia da Cidade Program (ACP)
This study will translate, implement, and evaluate ACP, an evidence-based, professionally supervised physical activity intervention conducted in Brazil, for use with Latino communities in North America.
Role on Project: Co-Principal Investigator
U48 DP000036 (Elder & Ayala, PDs/PIs) 09/30/04 – 09/29/14
CDC/PRC
Promotion of Physical Activity in the Latino Community (San Diego Prevention Research Center)
The mission of this center is to foster academic-community partnerships to promote Latino health using principles of community-based participatory research.
1P20 MD002293-01 (Talavera, PI) 09/30/07 – 05/31/13
NIH/NCMHD
San Diego Partnership to Reduce Diabetes & CVD in Latinos
This tri-lateral collaboration between SDSU, UCSD, and San Ysidro
Health Center seeks to promote and expedite research that improves
cardiovascular disease outcomes in low-income Latinos living in the
border region of San Diego.
Role on Project: Co-Investigator
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