Contributions to Science

The long-term goal of my work is to identify the features necessary for the design of systems that foster local community engaged, data-driven whole-of-community coordination of population health behavior for the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases, as well as to contribute to basic theory on whole-of-community system improvement. I am a social and behavioral scientist examining the diverse ways communities and their settings (e.g., healthcare, childcare, school, afterschool programs, youth clubs, youth sport) routine practices are structured, the processes contributing to the resilience or transformation of these social structures, and consequences of these systems of social structures on determining the health behavior of populations. My research team does this work by linking the characteristics of diverse rural whole-of-communities and their settings for children and youth with physical activity and other health behavior outcomes, as well as conducting comparative effectiveness trials of whole-of-community and setting health promotion interventions. My laboratory has had continuous federal funding since 1999, which has resulted in expertise in the design and conduct of cluster randomized trials of rural communities and settings, management of integrated data systems in rural community settings, and multi-level and multi-scale analysis methods. Concurrent with my research career, I have twenty years of senior administrative experience as a university department head and institute director, which has provided applied experience for leading organizational change and partnering with rural community agencies in the Great Plains. I am currently Professor and Community Chair for Activity, Nutrition and Obesity with the College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center 

 
Recent Selected Community- and Setting- Engaged Population Health Improvement Publications
 

  1. Essay AM, Schlechter CR, Mershon CA, Fial AV, Ellison J, Rosenkranz RR, Dzewaltowski DA. A scoping review of whole-of-community interventions on six modifiable cancer prevention risk factors in youth: A systems typology. Prev Med. 2021 Aug 17;106769. PMID: 34416222.
  2. Chen S, Rosenkranz RR, McLoughlin GM, Vazou S, Lanningham-Foster L, Gentile DA, Dzewaltowski DA. Evaluating the Implementation and Effectiveness of the SWITCH-MS: An Ecological, Multi-Component Adolescent Obesity Prevention Intervention. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Jul 27;17(15). PMID: 32727086 PMCID: PMC7432862.
  3. Kellstedt DK, Schenkelberg MA, Essay AM, Welk GJ, Rosenkranz RR, Idoate R, Ramos AK, Grimm B, Dzewaltowski DA. Rural Community Systems: Youth Physical Activity Promotion through Community Collaboration. Prev Med Rep. 2021 Jul;101486. PMID: 34458077 PMCID: PMC8378795.
  4. Schenkelberg MA, Essay AM, Rosen MS, Bavari AE, Norgelas SJ, Rosenkranz RR, Welk GJ, Dzewaltowski DA. A protocol for coordinating rural community stakeholders to implement whole-of-community youth physical activity surveillance through school systems. Prev Med Rep. 2021 Aug;101536
Contributions to science

1.     Community- and setting- engaged data-driven systems foster local coordination of population health improvement
Community and setting cluster randomized trials documented the effectiveness of locally controlled community engaged social system interventions that include three dynamic process control theory elements: multi-level measurement and feedback, continuous improvement process paired with capacity building, and evidence-based health behavior practice diffusion.  Communities have adopted the intervention programs resulting from these studies for implementation. 
  • Coleman KJ, Tiller CL, Sanchez J, Heath EM, Sy O, Milliken G, Dzewaltowski DA. Prevention of the epidemic increase in child risk of overweight in low-income schools: The El Paso coordinated approach to child health. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2005 Mar;159(3):217-24. PubMed PMID: 15753263,
  • Dzewaltowski, DA, Estabrooks PA, Welk G, Hill J, Milliken G, Karteroliotis K, Johnston JA. Healthy youth places: a randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of facilitating adult and youth leaders to promote physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption in middle schools. Health Educ Behav. 2009 Jun;36(3):583-600. PubMed PMID: 18469366.
  • Dzewaltowski DA, Rosenkranz RR, Geller KS, Coleman KJ, Welk GJ, Hastmann TJ, Milliken GA. HOP'N after-school project: an obesity prevention randomized controlled trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2010 Dec 13;7:90. PubMed PMID: 21144055; 
  • Coleman KJ, Shordon M, Caparosa SL, Pomichowski ME, Dzewaltowski DA. The healthy options for nutrition environments in schools (Healthy ONES) group randomized trial: using implementation models to change nutrition policy and environments in low income schools. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2012 Jun 27;9:80. PMCID: PMC3464788
 
2.     Methods for measuring social systems structures and health behavior for population health improvement
To understand and coordinate social system change through data-driven decision making, feedback is necessary to measure the structural conditions of the social system and implementation and health behavior outcomes across many levels (e.g., individual, setting, community, state and national) and time scales (across days, weeks, months and years).  Methods below have contributed to the development of easily administered self-report tools that provide information at a broad population level across long time scales. In addition, ongoing development of a method that pairs video observation with health behavior sensors, such as accelerometers, provides information about dynamic place-based processes across short time scales.  The physical activity studies below illustrate method development and demonstrate that setting leaders implementation define social structural practices that impact health behavior. 
  • Schlechter CR, Rosenkranz RR, Fees BS, Dzewaltowski DA. Preschool daily patterns of physical activity driven by location and social context. J Sch Health. 2017;87(3):194–199. PMID: 28147455
  • Schlechter CR, Guagliano JM, Rosenkranz RR, Milliken GA, Dzewaltowski DA. Physical activity patterns across time-segmented youth sport flag football practice. BMC Public Health. 2018 Feb 8;18(1):226. PMCID: PMC5806374
  • Schlechter CR, Rosenkranz RR, Guagliano JM, Dzewaltowski DA. Impact of troop leader training on the implementation of physical activity opportunities in Girl Scout troop meetings. Transl Behav Med. 2018 Nov 21;8(6):824–830. PMID: 30476320
  • Kellstedt DK, Schenkelberg MA, Essay AM, Von Seggern MJ, Rosenkranz RR, Welk GJ, et al. Youth sport participation and physical activity in rural communities. Arch Public Health 2021;79:46.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13690-021-00570-y.


3.     Methods for designing studies for translation of research to practice in community settings
As part of the NIH Behavior Change Consortium, Dr. Dzewaltowski was a founding member of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) work group, whose goal has been to improve the sustainable adoption and implementation of effective, evidence-based health promotion programs. He was the PI of a RWJF grant that created the RE-AIM website and dissemination network. The RE-AIM framework stimulated the creation of the field of the health implementation science, and the RE-AIM framework has spread over the last 15 years internationally. In a recent social network analysis of the RE-AIM Framework publications, Dzewaltowski was identified as the 7th highest author in centrality to the spread of RE-AIM across the international network of implementation science researchers.
  • Dzewaltowski DA, Glasgow RE, Klesges LM, Estabrooks PA, Brock E. RE-AIM: evidence-based standards and a Web resource to improve translation of research into practice. Ann Behav Med. 2004 Oct;28(2):75–80. PMID: 15454353
  • Dzewaltowski DA, Estabrooks PA, Glasgow RE. The future of physical activity behavior change research: what is needed to improve translation of research into health promotion practice? Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2004 Apr;32(2):57-63. PubMed PMID: 15064649.
  • Dzewaltowski DA, Estabrooks PA, Klesges LM, Bull S, Glasgow RE. Behavior change intervention research in community settings: how generalizable are the results?. Health Promot Int. 2004 Jun;19(2):235-45. PubMed PMID: 15128715. 
  • Schlechter CR, Rosenkranz RR, Guagliano JM, Dzewaltowski DA. A systematic review of children's dietary interventions with parents as change agents: Application of the RE-AIM framework. Preventive Medicine, 2016; 91:233-243.  PubMed PMID:  27569830
 
4.     Social system processes are mediated by cognitive system processes to influence health behavior
Dzewaltowski’s early work was one of the first to study the social system and cognitive systems processes that influence physical activity from a theoretical perspective. He compared several psychology discipline theoretical models and identified self-efficacy as a central social cognitive system process mediating physical activity behavior change. These findings were widely cited and became central to Albert Bandura's books and papers addressing self-efficacy and other social cognitive processes and health behavior theory. Bandura was ranked as the fourth most-frequently cited psychologist of all time and received the national medal of science.  He stated "Some researchers have tested whether factors included in alternative conceptions of health behavior add incremental prediction over about a subset of sociocognitive determinants. In several of these studies, the sociocognitive determinants included efficacy beliefs, and satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the changes in achieved heath habits (Dzewaltowski, 1989; Dzewaltowski et al, 1990). Both efficacy beliefs and affective self-reaction to personal progress contributed to adherence to healthful behaviors. Attitude and perceived social pressure similarly accounted for healthful behavior, but they did not improve prediction when added to the subset of sociocognitive determinants. Such findings suggest redundancy of determinants under different names rather than dissimilar determinants. (p., 286, Bandura, 1997)." The work supported adopting a social cognitive approach to health behavior change and later helped direct the field toward addressing intervention development targeting social psychological system processes within a theory-driven mediation/moderation framework.  
  • Bauman AE, Sallis JF, Dzewaltowski DA, Owen N. Toward a better understanding of the influences on physical activity: the role of determinants, correlates, causal variables, mediators, moderators, and confounders. Am J Prev Med. 2002 Aug;23(2 Suppl):5-14. PubMed PMID: 12133733. 
  • Dzewaltowski DA. Physical activity determinants: a social cognitive approach. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1994 Nov;26(11):1395-9. PubMed PMID: 7837961.
  • Dzewaltowski DA, Noble JM, Shaw JM. Physical activity participation: Social cognitive theory versus the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 1990; 12(4):388-405. PMID: 28796958.
  •  Dzewaltowski DA. Toward a model of exercise motivation. J Sport Exerc Psychol. 1989; 11(3):251-269. PMID: 28796958.
 
Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/david.dzewaltowski.1/bibliography/public/
 



Selected Publications

​Whole-of-Community Epidemiology and Intervention Effects
  • Estabrooks, PA., Smith-Ray, R. Dzewatlowski, D.A., Dowdy, D., Lattimore, D., Rheaume, C., Ory, M.G., Bazzarre, R., Griffin,S.F., & Wilcox, S.  (2011).  Sustainability of evidence-based community-based physical activity programs for older adults:  Lessons from Active for Life.  Translational Behavioral Medicine, 1, 208-215.​​
  • Ford, P. & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2011). Neighborhood deprivation, supermarkets and BMI in low-income women across the urban-rural continuum: A multilevel analysis. Journal of Community Health, 36, 785-796. PMID: 21547411.
  • Ford, P.B., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2010). Limited supermarket availability is not associated with obesity risk among participants in the Kansas WIC program.  Obesity, 18, 1944-1951.
  • Ford, P.B., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2010).  Geographic, racial, ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in the availability of grocery stores and supermarkets among low-income women across the urban-rural continuum.  Journal of Hunger and Environmental Nutrition, 5, 216-233.
  • Estabrooks, P.E., Bradshaw, M., Dzewaltowski, D.A., Smith-Ray, R.L. (2008).  Determining the impact of Walk Kansas:  Applying a team-building approach to community physical activity promotion.  Annals of Behavioral medicine,36, 1-12. ​
  • Ford, P.B. & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2008). Disparities in obesity prevalence due to variation in the retail food environment:  Three testable hypotheses.  Nutrition Reviews, 66, 216-228.
  • Wilcox, S., Dowda, M., Griffin, S. F., Rheaume, C., Ory, M. G., Leviton, L., et al., Dzewaltowski, D.A., Mockenhaupt, R.  (2006). Results of the first year of active for life: translation of 2 evidence-based physical activity programs for older adults into community settings. American Journal of Public Health, 96, 1201-1209.
  • Dzewaltowski, D.A., Estabrooks, P.A., Klesges, L.M., Bull, S.S., Glasgow, R.E. (2004). Behavior change research in community settings:  How generalizable are the results?  Health Promotion International,19, 235-245
  • Estabrooks, P.A., Bradshaw, M., Fox, E.H., Berg, J., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2004). The relationship between delivery agents’ physical activity level and the likelihood of implementing a physical activity program.  American Journal of Health Promotion, 18, 350-353. ​
  • Russell, W.D. Dzewaltowski, D.A., & Ryan, G.R. (1999).  The effectiveness of a point-of-decision prompt in deterring sedentary behavior.  American Journal of Health Promotion, 13, 257-259.
Child Care Intervention Effects
  • ​Trost, S.G., Fees, B., Dzewaltowski, D.A.  (2008).  Feasibility and efficacy of a “Move and Learn” physical activity curriculum in preschool children. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 5, 88-103.
  • Fees, B., Trost, S., Boop, M., Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2009). Physical activity programming in family child care homes: Providers perceptions of practices and barriers, Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 41, 268-273.
Youth Club and Summer Camp Intervention Effects
  • ​Cull, B.J., Rosenkranz, S.K., Dzewaltowski, D.A., Teeman, C.S., & Rosenkranz, R.R. (Submitted).  Home-based obesity prevention and health promotion in children and adolescents:  Randomized controlled trial protocol of the Wildcate Wellness Coaching Trial.
  • Rosenkranz, R.R., Behrens, T.K., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2010).  A Group-Randomized Controlled Trial for Health Promotion in Girl Scouts: Healthier Troops in a SNAP (Scouting Nutrition and Activity Program).  BMC Public Health, 10, 81.
  • Rosenkranz.R.R., & Dzewaltowski D.A., (2009) Promoting better family meals for girls attending summer programs. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 41, 65-67.
  • Hastmann,T.J., Foster, K.E., Rosenkranz, R.R., Rosenkranz, S.K., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2012). Effect of adult leader participation on physical activity in children. Open Journal of Preventive Medicine, 4, 429-435.
  • Foster, K.E., Behrens, T.K., Jager, A.L., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2010).  Effect of Elimination Games on Physical Activity and Psychosocial Responses in Children, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 7, 475-483.
Afterschool Program Intervention Effects
  • Shoemaker, C.A., Domenghini, C., Milliken, G.A., Bopp, M., Walch, T.,&  Dzewaltowski, D.A. (Submitted). PLANTS after-school gardening project: an overweight prevention group randomized trial. ​
  • Dzewaltowski, D.A., Rosenkranz, R., Geller, K., Coleman, K., Welk, G., Hastmann, T., et al. (2010). Healthy Opportunities for Physical Activity and Nutrition After-School: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 7, 90-90. PMID: 21144055 
​
  • Hastmann, T.J., Bopp, M., Fallon, E.A., Rozenkranz, R.R., & Dzewaltowski, D.A., (2013). Factors influencing the implementation of organized physical Activity and fruit and vegetable snacks in the HOP'N after-school obesity prevention program. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 45, 60-68. ​
  • Poston, S. A, Shoemaker, C.A., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2005).  A comparison of a nutrition and gardening program with a standard nutrition program in an out-of-school setting. Horttechnology. 15, 463-467.
School Health Promotion Intervention Effects
  • ​Caparosa, S.L., Shordon, M. Santos, A.T., Pomichowski, M.E., Dzewaltowski, D.A., & Coleman, K.J. (2014). Fundraising, celebrations and classroom rewards are substantial sources of unhealthy foods and beverages on public school campuses.  Public Health Nutrition, 17,1205-1213.
  • Coleman, K.J., Shordon, M., Caparosa, S.L., Pomichowski, M.E., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2012).  The Healthy Options for Nutrition Environments in Schools (Healthy ONES) group randomized trial:  Using implementation models to change nutrition policy and environments in low income schools.  International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 9, 80.
  • Dzewaltowski, D.A., Estabrooks, P.A., Welk, G., Hill, J., Milliken, G., Karteroliotis, K., & Johnston, J.A., (2009).  Healthy Youth Places, A randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of facilitating adult and youth leaders to promote physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. Health Education and Behavior, 36, 583–600.
  • Coleman, K.J., Tiller, C.L., Sanchez, J., Heath, E.M., Sy, O, Milliken, G., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2005).  Preventing the epidemic rise in child overweight in low-income schools:  The El Paso Coordinated Approach to Child Health (El Paso CATCH).  Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 159, 217-224.
  • Dzewaltowski, D. A., Estabrooks, P. A., & Johnston, J. A. (2002). Healthy Youth Places Promoting Nutrition and Physical Activity.  Health Education Research, 17, 541-551.
Primary Care and Health Care Interventions
  • Almeida,  F.A., Smith-Ray, R.L., Dzewaltowski, D.A., Glasgow, R.E., Lee, R.E., Thomas, D., Xu, S., & Estabrooks, P.E. (2015). An interactive computer session to initiate physical activity in sedentary cardiac patients:  Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17(8), e206.
  • Estabrooks, P.A., Glasgow, R.E., Dzewaltowski, D.A.  (2003).  Physical activity promotion through primary care. Journal of the American Medical Association, 289, 2913-2916.
Youth Development Setting Physical Activity and Nutrition Observation Studies
  • ​Schlechter, C.R., Rosenkranz, R.R., Milliken, G., & Dzewaltowski, D.A., (In Press).  Physical activity levels during youth sport practice:  Does coach training or experience have an influence?  Journal of Sport Sciences.
  • Schenkelberg MA, Rosenkranz RR, Milliken GA, & Dzewaltowski DA (2015). Social environmental influences on physical activity of children with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 12(5),636-641.
  • Caparosa, S.L., Shordon, M. Santos, A.T., Pomichowski, M.E., Dzewaltowski, D.A., & Coleman, K.J. (2013). Fundraising, celebrations and classroom rewards are substantial sources of unhealthy foods and beverages on public school campuses.  Public Health Nutrition. First View Article pp 1-9. Published online: 14 June 2013.
  • Hastmann,T.J., Foster, K.E., Rosenkranz, R.R., Rosenkranz, S.K., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2012). Effect of adult leader participation on physical activity in children. Open Journal of Preventive Medicine, 4, 429-435.
  • Rosenkranz, R.R., Welk, G.J., Hastmann, T.J., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2011). Psychosocial and demographic correlates of objectively measured physical activity in structured and unstructured after-school recreation sessions.  Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 14, 306-311.
  • Rosenkranz, R.R., Welk, G.J., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2011). Environmental correlates of objectively measured physical activity in after-school recreation sessions.  Journal of Physical Activity and Health. 8, S214-221.
  • Foster, K.E., Behrens, T.K., Jager, A.L., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2010).  Effect of Elimination Games on Physical Activity and Psychosocial Responses in Children, Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 7, 475-483.
  • Coleman, K.J., Geller, K.S., Rosenkranz, R.R., Dzewaltowski, D.A.. (2008). Physical activity and healthy eating in the after-school environment. Journal of School Health, 78, 633-640. ​
  • ​Trost, S., Rosenkranz, R., Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2008). Physical activity levels among children attending after-school programs. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 44, 622-629.
Psychosocial Motivational Process Papers
  • Geller, K.S., Melbye, M.J., Rosenkranz, R.R., Shoemaker, C., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (In Press).  Measuring elementary-aged children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for gardening, physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. Hortechnology. ​
  • Geller, K.S., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2010).  Youth proxy efficacy for fruit and vegetable availability varies by gender and socio-economic status, Public Health Nutrition, 13, 843-851.
  • Geller, K.S., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2010). Examining Elementary School-Aged Children's Self-Efficacy and Proxy Efficacy for Fruit and Vegetable Consumption.  Health Education and Behavior, 37, 465-478. PMID: 19858314.
  • Dzewaltowski, D.A., Geller, K.S., Rosenkranz, R.R., & Karteroliotis, K. (2010).  Children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for after-school physical activity. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 11, 100-106. ​
  • ​Geller, K.S., Dzewaltowski, D.A., Rosenkranz, R.R., & Kateroliotis, K.  (2009)  Measuring children's self-efficacy and proxy efficacy related to fruit and vegetable consumption.  Journal of School Health, 79, 51-57.
  • Geller, K.S., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2009). Longitudinal and cross-sectional influences on youth fruit and vegetable consumption, Nutrition Reviews, 67, 65-76.
  • ​Rosenkranz.R.R., & Dzewaltowski D.A., (2009) Promoting better family meals Dzewaltowski, D.A., Ryan, G.J., & Rosenkranz, R.R. (2008).  Parental bonding may moderate the relationships between parent physical activity and youth physical activity after school.  Psychology of Sport & Exercise, 9, 848-854.
  • Dzewaltowski, D. A., Karteroliotis, K., Welk, G., Johnston, J.A., & Estabrooks, P.A. (2007) Measurement of self-efficacy and proxy efficacy for middle school youth physical activity.  Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 29, 310-332.
  • ​Ryan, G.J., & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2002). Relationships among Types of Self-Efficacy and After-School Physical Activity in Youth.  Health Education and Behavior, 29, 491-504.
  • Patrick, L.E.,  & Dzewaltowski, D.A. (2000).  Multidimensional scaling and preference mapping:  Promising methods for investigating older adults physical activity perceptions and preferences.  Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 8, 343-362
  • Dzewaltowski, D.A., Noble, J.M., Shaw, J.M. (1990).  Physical activity participation:  Social cognitive theory versus the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12, 388-405.
  • Dzewaltowski, D.A., (1989).  Toward a model of exercise motivation.  Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 11, 251-269.