RESEARCH ACTIVITIES IN NUTRITION

Introduction
Involved Researchers
Ongoing Research
Recently Published Books or Book Chapters
Recently Published Articles

The Department has an extraordinarily active research portfolio in the area of nutritional epidemiology. Risk factor domains under investigation include specific nutrients and foods, food intake patterns and dietary behaviors, and nutrient-gene interactions. Health outcomes under consideration in relation to nutrition include atherosclerosis, cancers of various sites, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, insulin resistance, maternal and fetal health outcomes, and obesity. Strong programmatic connections exist to the USC Cancer Prevention and Control Program and the Arnold School of Public Health’s Center for Research in Nutrition and Health Disparities. In close collaboration with department faculty, these entities conduct studies related both to methodological issues in nutrition and dietary assessment and those focused on discovery of factors associated with primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of specific diseases. Study designs range from ecological (e.g., where, at the macro level, we characterize the nutrition environment and its impact on a variety of health outcomes), to observational (i.e., case-control and cohort) studies, to clinical and community trials.

Involved Researchers:
Natalie Colabianchi Ph.D.
James Hébert Sc.D.
Angela Liese Ph.D.
Jihong Liu Sc.D.
Robert McKeown Ph.D.
Susan Steck Ph.D.
Myriam Torres Ph.D.

Ongoing Research:
Methods for Improved Diet and Exercise Measurement
Hebert, J. R. (PI)
NIH/NCI/Oregon Research Institute
May 1, 2007 – April 30, 2008
This study will design and test an interactive computer (CD-ROM) assessment program to improve the accuracy of self-reported portion size and self-reported PA intensity in older, overweight, or obese adults, and assess the extent to which these improvements result in increased accuracy, by comparing the CD-ROM assessment program to standard paper/pencil versions and against more objective “gold standard” measures of diet and PA.

Spatial epidemiology of diabetes in the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study
Angela Liese (PI)
NIH/NIDDK
January 15, 2007 - December 31, 2009
Purpose: This ancillary study to the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study and the SEARCH Case Control study aims to (1) describe and map the spatial distribution of incident pediatric diabetes; (2) evaluate the association of diabetes incidence with geographic and neighborhood characteristics; (3) to explore the extent to which geographical and neighborhood characteristics and established individual-level risk factors are similar or different with respect to their influence of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

Lifestyle Education for Activity & Nutrition, Body Media
Steven Blair P.E.D.
November 01, 2007 - March 31, 2009
This randomized clinical trial will evaluate various methods of weight loss intervention targeting diet and physical activity.

SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth 2: USC Site
Angela Liese (Co-PI)
CDC / Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) and NIH/NIDDK
September 30, 2005 - September 29, 2010
The purpose of this project is to assess the incidence and natural history of diabetes in youth, the impact of quality of diabetes care in youth on short- and long-term diabetes outcomes, and the development of a validate simple and low-cost case definition and classification of diabetes in youth that can be used for public health surveillance. This project is based on the continuation of the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth study. South Carolina is one of six US sites of this multi-center study.

Diabetes Prevention Program Outcomes Study (DPPOS)
Robert Moran Ph.D. (PI)
Subcontract to George Washington University
NIH/NIDDK
May 01, 2002 – January 31, 2009
Evaluate approaches to the primary prevention of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. USC holds a subcontract for the study wide dietary assessment and is responsible for the collection, quality control, and analysis of dietary data from the 27 clinical centers nationwide.

Recently Published Books or Book Chapters:
McKeown RE & Messias DKH. Epidemiology. In Lancaster J & Stanhope M, eds. Community and Public Health Nursing. Two previous editions, 7th ed. St Louis: Mosby, In press.

Recently Published Articles:
Teas J, Braverman LE, Kurzer MS, Pino S, Hurley TG, Hebert JR. Seaweed and soy: Companion foods in Asian cuisine and their effects on thyroid function in American women. J Medicinal Foods 2007;10(1):90-100.

Liese AD, Gilliard T, Schulz M, D’Agostino RB, Wolever TMS. Carbohydrate nutrition, glycemic load and plasma lipids: the Insulin Resistance Atherosclerosis Study. Eur Heart J 2007; 28: 80-87.