Magellan Grant Proposal

Associations of Parental Support and Parental Values with Youth Physical Activity, Diet, and Weightrelated Outcomes Lauren Crouse, Exercise Science; Dawn K. Wilson, Ph.D., (Primary Mentor) Department of Psychology; Allison Sweeney, Ph.D., (Secondary Mentor) Department of Psychology Background: Adolescent obesity, especially among ethnic minorities, has been on the rise for decades. Childhood obesity has been nationally recognized as a public health issue (Wright et al., 2008); yet, relatively few interventions have been successful at decreasing obesity among high-risk groups, such as African American youth. African Americans, specifically those of lower socioeconomic status, tend to have high rates of obesity, consumption of caloric dense foods, and lower activity levels; the onset of comorbidities such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia have also been observed in this population as a result of poor lifestyle practices leading to obesity (Tate et al., 2014). There is converging evidence that parents play a critical role in both preventing and reducing obesity among their children (Kitzman-Ulrich et al., 2010; Wilson et al., 2017). Because youth are impressionable, parents have the ability to impact their children’s health behaviors by providing social support throughout the significant time that is spent together with their families at this age (Brunet et al., 2014). Tangible support has been demonstrated through dimensions such as instrumental-- transportation, payment, enrollment, access to physical activity equipment, and available healthy food at home-- and conditional—direct involvement and observation (Beets et al., 2010; Siceloff, Wilson, & Van Horn, 2014). Previous research by Wilson et al. (2011) demonstrated greater levels of physical activity in African American adolescents when access to equipment for physical activity was more readily available, suggesting that tangible support is critical for encouraging physical activity among youth. Emotional parental support can be categorized into motivational—words of encouragement and praise-- and informational—communication of importance and advice (Beets et al., 2010). Tate et al. (2014) concluded that there was a direct positive association between parental engagement and the physical activity of the child, suggesting that emotional support also plays an essential role in youth health behaviors. In addition to providing support, another way in which parents may influence their children’s health behaviors is through the transmission of their personal values. It has been shown that maternal values around healthy eating have influenced children’s diets (Tate et al., 2014). However, parents’ support and values may be critical to improving youth health behaviors (Wilson et al., 2011; Wilson et al., 2017). Although previous studies have examined the relationship between parental social support and youth health behaviors (Springer et al., 2006), little research has directly compared the unique effects of tangible versus emotional support especially in underserved African American adolescents. Furthermore, although previous research has found that parents’ values shape their children’s’ health behaviors, relatively little is known about which specific values are most critical for promoting a healthy lifestyle especially among underserved African American families. The goal of the proposed study is to 1) compare the unique impact of tangible versus emotional parental social support on youth health behaviors, and 2) to identify which parenting values are most critical for promoting physical activity, a healthy diet, and a lower body mass index (BMI) among African American youth participating in the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss randomized controlled trial. Research Statement: This research project will assess how emotional and tangible parental support and parental values are associated with African American adolescent’s physical activity, diet, and body mass index (BMI) outcomes. Project Goals and Objectives: 1. To organize and analyze the data from Project FIT in order to examine my research statement. 2. I will present my final project at Discovery Day at USC 2018. 3. I will compose a publication for USC’s undergraduate research journal, Caravel. Project Significance: It is essential to understand the role that parents play in a child’s upbringing regarding factors that contribute to obesity such as physical activity and diet so that parents may be aware of effective practices to execute (Golan and Crow, 2004). This research would strengthen the available knowledge on parent influences on the child’s behavior by focusing on the unique contributions of parental social support and values. There is little research conducted on lower socioeconomic ethnic minority families who are at the highest risk for obesity, so it is important to gather more information to not only understand their barriers but also learn how to provide the more effective and lasting treatments. Given that prevalence rates of adolescent obesity remain high, this research will help us to identify the critical components and potentially optimal techniques for treating and preventing obesity issues through behavioral lifestyle interventions.

Project Design: Project FIT is a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a motivational and family based weight loss intervention in African American adolescents and parents (Wilson et al., 2015). This study has already been approved by the Office of Research Compliance for human subject approval and will comply with all of the rules, regulations and training requirements. The proposed project will use data from 235 parent and adolescent dyads. I have been working with Project FIT families one on one since the beginning of October as an active member of the intervention team and I am receiving class credits for it towards my Psychology minor for advanced independent study. Next semester, I will analyze the data that has been collected throughout the project. A Magellan scholarship would help broaden my skillset for evaluating Project FIT by learning more about data entry, analyses and by remaining involved with the measurement team to become exposed to continued hands-on experience. The Principal Investigator, Dr. Dawn Wilson, and the Post-Doctoral Fellow, Allison Sweeney, have agreed to mentor me on the all aspects of the proposed research. Methodology and Analyses: Measures of tangible social support and emotional social support for diet and physical activity are collected through questionnaires completed by adolescents at the onset of the study. The measure of parenting values are obtained through a questionnaire completed by parents in which they are asked to identity which values they view as most important for transmitting to their child (e.g., “independence”, “hard work”). We will use this questionnaire to develop an index for assessing which values are most strongly associated with health behaviors. Three outcome variables will be assessed: baseline physical activity (minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity; MVPA), baseline diet (kcals), and baseline BMI. Adolescent MVPA is obtained with omni-directional accelerometers (Acticals). Adolescents wear an accelerometer for 7 days at the beginning of the study. Adolescent diet (average calories per day) is measured through dietary recalls administered randomly via phone by a registered dietician at the onset of the study. Additionally, at the beginning of the study, adolescents’ height and weight are measured by certified staff using a digital scale and stadiometer. BMI will be calculated as weight (kg)/height (meters2). For youth, BMI z-score will be calculated with the NutStat (EpiInfo) program based on the Centers for Disease Control sex specific 2000 reference curves. We propose testing three linear regression models. First, we will assess whether specific emotional social support and tangible social support for physical activity (e.g. availability of physical activity equipment at home), and parenting values predict baseline adolescent MVPA. Second, we will assess whether emotional social support, tangible social support specific to diet (e.g. availability of healthy foods at home), and parenting values predict baseline adolescent kcals. Third, we will assess whether emotional social support for diet and physical activity, tangible social support (availability of physical activity equipment/healthy food at home), and parenting values predict adolescent zBMI. Project Timeline: October 2017-April 2018: Continue involvement on Project FIT Intervention January 2018-February 2018: Literature review, data organization, and analyze data March 2018-April 2018: Prepare to present preliminary project at Discover USC; compose and publish work in USC’s Caravel Anticipated Results and Dissemination: The projected outcome of this research is that higher levels of emotional and tangible parental support will be positively associated with lower dietary kcals higher levels of MVPA, and lower zBMI in adolescents. Additionally, this project will help to clarify which core parenting values are most strongly associated with adolescent health behaviors and weight-related outcomes. Personal Statement: When I think of my childhood, I reminisce on the countless hours that were spent playing outside and competing in travel sports, but most importantly, my parents guiding and supporting me throughout the journey. As an Exercise Science major and Psychology minor, I am not only motivated to understand how exercise and nutrition influence one’s weight, but also how the mind and presence of parental support play a role as well. My end goal is to become a pediatric physician assistant. This grant would allow me to support my future patients’ parents in healthy parenting skills that foster improved lifestyles for their children. It will also enable me to connect with my patients on a more personal level by motivating and enriching them since I would fully understand the barriers that they face. Since I have been working with the intervention team for Project FIT, I have gained greater knowledge on the psychological perspective of the substantial obesity issue that the United States is facing. I am an advocate for healthy living and professional advancement which is exemplified by my leadership positions of Executive Secretary in Exercise Science Club and formerly Alpha Epsilon Delta; I wish to extend my passion while also benefitting others with the knowledge that will be gained with the help of this grant.

References: Beets, M. W., Cardinal, B. J., & Alderman, B. L. (2010). Parental social support and the physical activity-related behaviors of youth: a review. Health Education & Behavior, 37(5), 621-644. Brunet, J., Sabiston, C. M., O'Loughlin, J., Mathieu, M. E., Tremblay, A., Barnett, T. A., & Lambert, M. (2014). Perceived parental social support and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in children at risk of obesity. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 85(2), 198-207. Golan, M., & Crow, S. (2004). Parents are key players in the prevention and treatment of weight-related problems. Nutrition reviews, 62(1), 39-50. Kitzman-Ulrich, H., Wilson, D. K., George, S. M. S., Lawman, H., Segal, M., & Fairchild, A. (2010). The integration of a family systems approach for understanding youth obesity, physical activity, and dietary programs. Clinical child and family psychology review, 13(3), 231-253. Siceloff R, Wilson DK, Van Horn ML. (2014). A longitudinal study of the effects of instrumental and emotional social support on physical activity in underserved adolescents in the ACT trial. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 48, 71-79. Springer, A. E., Kelder, S. H., & Hoelscher, D. M. (2006). Social support, physical activity and sedentary behavior among 6th-grade girls: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 3(1), 8. Tate, N. H., Davis, J. E., & Yarandi, H. N. (2014). Sociocultural influences on weight-related behaviors in african american adolescents. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 37(12), 1531-1547. 10.1177/0193945914537122 Wilson, D. K., Kitzman-Ulrich, H., Resnicow, K., Van Horn, M. L., George, S. M. S., Siceloff, E. R., & Coulon, S. (2015). An overview of the Families Improving Together (FIT) for weight loss randomized controlled trial in African American families. Contemporary clinical trials, 42, 145-157. Wilson, D. K., Lawman, H. G., Segal, M., & Chappell, S. (2011). Neighborhood and parental supports for physical activity in minority adolescents. American journal of preventive medicine, 41(4), 399-406. Wilson, D. K., Sweeney, A. M., Kitzman-Ulrich, H., Gause, H., & George, S. M. S. (2017). Promoting Social Nurturance and Positive Social Environments to Reduce Obesity in High-Risk Youth. Clinical child and family psychology review, 20(1), 64-77. Wright, M. S., Wilson, D. K., Griffin, S., & Evans, A. (2008). A qualitative study of parental modeling and social support for physical activity in underserved adolescents. Health Education Research, 25(2), 224-232.







Magellan Scholar BUDGET FORM Student’s Name: Lauren Crouse Student salary

Hours

Rate

Estimated number of hours student will work

Enter the hourly wage

Research hours during semesters when enrolled in classes

221

Subtotal

$11.00

$2,431.00

Research hours during semesters when NOT enrolled in classes

$0.00

Fringe: Student salary * student fringe rate 1 (what is fringe? See budget instructions or guidebook) Enrolled in classes $2,431.00 0.37% Not enrolled in classes $0.00 8.03% Materials/Supplies

Enter sub-total from below:

Travel

Enter sub-total from below:

$8.99 $0.00 $560.00

TOTAL:

$2,999.99

Amount requested for Scholar award:

$3,000.00



Budget Justification/Description

Student Salary: Student is enrolled in classes for Spring 2017 semester only. While taking classes: 13 hours per week for 17 weeks at $11.00 per hour Materials/Supplies: Printing costs for flyers, programs, posters: $460; Discovery Day poster printing: $100 Note: $11.00 per hour is the student hourly rate of pay this program uses.



Transcript Data STUDENT INFORMATION Name :

Lauren J. Crouse

Birth Date:

28-SEP

Student Type:

Continuing

Curriculum Information Current Program Degree:

Bachelor of Science

College:

NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Campus:

USC Columbia

Major:

Exercise Science

Minor:

Psychology

***Transcript type:ADVS Advising is NOT Official ***

TRANSFER CREDIT ACCEPTED BY INSTITUTION Spring 2015:

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Advanced Placement Exam

Subject Course

Title

Grade

FREN

121

Elementary French

CR

4.000

0.00

MATH

141

Calculus I

CR

4.000

0.00

Attempt Passed Hours Hours Current Term:

Unofficial Transcript

0.000

0.000

Credit Hours

Earned GPA Hours Hours 8.000

0.000

Quality Points

R

Quality GPA Points 0.00

0.000

Spring 2014:

Advanced Placement Exam

Subject Course

Title

Grade

PSYC

Introduction to Psychology

CR

101

Attempt Passed Hours Hours Current Term:

0.000

Credit Hours

R

3.000

Earned GPA Hours Hours

0.000

Quality Points

3.000

0.000

0.00 Quality GPA Points 0.00

0.000

Unofficial Transcript

INSTITUTION CREDIT

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Term: Fall 2015

College:

NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major:

Exercise Science

Student Type:

New Freshman

Academic Standing:

Good Standing

Additional Standing:

President's List/Dean's List

Subject Course Campus

Level Title

Grade

Credit Hours

Quality Start Points and End Dates

BIOL

101

USC UG Columbia

Biological Principles I

A

3.000

12.00

BIOL

101L

USC UG Columbia

Biological Principles I Lab

A

1.000

4.00

ENGL

101

USC UG Columbia

Critical Reading & Comp

A

3.000

12.00

MUSC

140

USC UG Columbia

Jazz & American Popular Music

A

3.000

12.00

SOCY

101

USC UG Columbia

Introductory Sociology

A

3.000

12.00

UNIV

101

USC UG Columbia

The Student in the University

A

3.000

12.00

R CEU Contact Hours

Term Totals (Undergraduate) Attempt Passed Earned GPA Hours Hours Hours Hours

Quality GPA Points

Current Term:

16.000

16.000

16.000

16.000

64.00

4.000

Cumulative:

16.000

16.000

16.000

16.000

64.00

4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Spring 2016

College:

NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major:

Exercise Science

Student Type:

Continuing

Academic Standing:

Good Standing

Additional Standing:

President's List/Dean's List

Subject Course Campus

Level Title

Grade

Credit Hours

Quality Start Points and End Dates

BIOL

102

USC UG Columbia

Biological Principles II

A

3.000

12.00

BIOL

102L

USC UG Columbia

Biological Principles II Lab

A

1.000

4.00

CHEM

111

USC UG Columbia

General Chemistry I

A

3.000

12.00

CHEM

111L

USC UG Columbia

General Chemistry I Lab

A

1.000

4.00

ENGL

102

USC UG Columbia

Rhetoric and Composition

A

3.000

12.00

EXSC

191

USC UG Columbia

Physical Activity and Health

A

3.000

12.00

PEDU

101

USC UG Columbia

Self-Defense For Women

A

1.000

4.00

R CEU Contact Hours

Term Totals (Undergraduate) Attempt Passed Earned GPA Hours Hours Hours Hours

Quality GPA Points

Current Term:

15.000

15.000

15.000

15.000

60.00

4.000

Cumulative:

31.000

31.000

31.000

31.000

124.00

4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Summer 2016

College:

NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major:

Exercise Science

Student Type:

Continuing

Academic Standing:

Good Standing

Subject Course Campus

PEDU

555

Level Title

USC UG Columbia

Grade

Current Topics in Phys Educ

A

Credit Hours

3.000

Quality Start Points and End Dates

R CEU Contact Hours

12.00

Term Totals (Undergraduate) Attempt Passed Earned GPA Hours Hours Hours Hours Current Term: Cumulative:

Quality GPA Points

3.000

3.000

3.000

3.000

12.00

4.000

34.000

34.000

34.000

34.000

136.00

4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Fall 2016

College:

NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major:

Exercise Science

Student Type:

Continuing

Academic Standing:

Good Standing

Additional Standing:

President's List/Dean's List

Subject Course Campus

Level Title

Grade

Credit Hours

Quality Start Points and End Dates

CHEM

112

USC UG Columbia

General Chemistry II

A

3.000

12.00

CHEM

112L

USC UG Columbia

General Chemistry II Lab

A

1.000

4.00

CLAS

230

USC UG Columbia

Med & Scientific Terminology

A

3.000

12.00

EXSC

223

USC UG Columbia

Anatomy and Physiology I

A

3.000

12.00

EXSC

223L

USC UG Columbia

Anatomy & Physiology I Lab

A

1.000

4.00

HIST

108

USC UG Columbia

Science & Tech in World Hist

A

3.000

12.00

PUBH

102

USC UG Columbia

Intro to Public Health

A

3.000

12.00

R CEU Contact Hours

Term Totals (Undergraduate) Attempt Passed Earned GPA Hours Hours Hours Hours

Quality GPA Points

Current Term:

17.000

17.000

17.000

17.000

68.00

4.000

Cumulative:

51.000

51.000

51.000

51.000

204.00

4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Spring 2017

College:

NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major:

Exercise Science

Student Type:

Continuing

Academic Standing:

Good Standing

Additional Standing:

President's List/Dean's List

Last Academic Standing:

Good Standing

Subject Course Campus

Level Title

Grade

EXSC

UG

A

224

USC

Anatomy and

Credit Hours

3.000

Quality Start Points and End Dates 12.00

R CEU Contact Hours

Columbia

Physiology II

EXSC

224L

USC UG Columbia

Anatomy and Physiology II Lab

A

1.000

4.00

PHYS

201

USC UG Columbia

General Physics I

A

3.000

12.00

PHYS

201L

USC UG Columbia

General Physics Laboratory I

A

1.000

4.00

PSYC

420

USC UG Columbia

Survey of Developmental Psychology

A

3.000

12.00

STAT

201

USC UG Columbia

Elementary Statistics

A

3.000

12.00

Term Totals (Undergraduate) Attempt Passed Earned GPA Hours Hours Hours Hours

Quality GPA Points

Current Term:

14.000

14.000

14.000

14.000

56.00

4.000

Cumulative:

65.000

65.000

65.000

65.000

260.00

4.000

Unofficial Transcript

TRANSCRIPT TOTALS (UNDERGRADUATE)

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Attempt Passed Hours Hours Total Institution: Total Transfer: Overall:

Earned GPA Hours Hours

Quality GPA Points

65.000

65.000

65.000

65.000

260.00

4.000

0.000

0.000

11.000

0.000

0.00

0.000

65.000

65.000

76.000

65.000

260.00

4.000

Unofficial Transcript

COURSES IN PROGRESS

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Term: Fall 2017

College:

NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major:

Exercise Science

Student Type:

Continuing

Subject Course Campus

Level Title

Credit Hours

CHEM

331L

USC UG Columbia

Essentials of Organic Chemistry Laboratory I

1.000

CHEM

333

USC UG Columbia

Organic Chemistry I

3.000

EXSC

351

USC UG Columbia

Acquisition of Motor Skills

3.000

EXSC

530

USC UG Columbia

The Physiology of Muscular Activity

3.000

EXSC

530L

USC

Physiology of Muscular

1.000

UG

Start and End Dates

Columbia

Activity Lab

PSYC

410

USC UG Columbia

Behavioral and Mental Disorders

3.000

PSYC

498

USC UG Columbia

Project FIT Independent Study

3.000

Unofficial Transcript

Magellan Programs Primary Mentor Collaboration Form Mentor confirmation and responsibilities:

1. This program is based on the foundation of providing students with experience in writing about their research as an educational practice. The primary criterion is the student’s ability to explain the project and awards are made in the name of a specific student, not the project itself. The program requires student authorship of the proposal for the grant writing and editing experience. The proposal is the student’s work and shall not be written by the mentor. However, mentors are expected to work with the student to develop the project plan and budget, to enhance the student’s understanding and ability to explain the work, and to provide guidance through the writing and editing process. The submission must meet the Program Compliance, Research Integrity, and Authorship guidelines on page 1 of the guidebook. 2. Please mark as appropriate IRB/IACUC requirement: This project does or does not involve the following • Human subjects: Yes _X__ No ___ • Vertebrate animals: Yes ___ No _X__ Please note: mentors are responsible for ensuring the project is compliant with all human subject, animal use, and ethical guidelines, requirements, approval, and student training. For questions, please contact the Office of Research Compliance at 803-777-7095. 3. Funding requirements: Projects must comply with university procedures and requirements as well as those in the current Magellan Scholar guidebook. Budgets should be monitored closely as overages are the responsibility of the mentor. 4. Mentors are responsible for ensuring the Scholar complies with the following award requirements (additional details in the Magellan Scholar Application Guidebook): a. Blackboard management of award requirements and expectations

b. Maintain consistent effort towards the completion of the project within the grant period. This is evaluated each semester by the research mentor through the Research Registry system, based on this rubric OR upon a set of guidelines/requirements established by the mentor for a successful semester of research. Mentors will receive an email at the beginning and end of the semester for the evaluation process. More information can be found on page 21 of the Guidebook. c. Research ethics course: sessions provided by the Office of Undergraduate Research. NSF/NIH funded projects also require students to complete the on-line CITI training: http://orc.research.sc.edu/rcr.shtml. d. Magellan Scholar Final Report e. Discover USC presentation

By entering my name as the student’s mentor, I confirm and agree to the above. Non-compliance may result in loss of funding or ineligibility for future Magellan awards. Mentor name: Dawn K. Wilson, Ph.D.



Collaboration plan and overview: Student name(s): Lauren Crouse Time known? 3 months GROUP PROJECTS may be provided on one form. HOWEVER, please provide separate readiness statements (#1) unique to each student in the group. Questions 2-4 may be the same or vary depending on students and project needs.



1) Please comment briefly on the student’s readiness or preparation for this project. 300 words max per student. You may include such factors as coursework, current or past research experience, strengths, weaknesses, intellectual ability, writing ability, analytical skills, initiative and maturity, and level of independence (novice through advanced).

Lauren Crouse has worked with the Obesity Research Group over the past 3 months as a research assistant on our National Institutes of Health funded trial “Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss”. She has demonstrated a strong commitment to being involved and learning about the trial that is testing the efficacy of a motivational and positive parenting intervention on improving African American adolescents dietary and physical activity behaviors as well as weight related outcomes over a 1-year period. Lauren is a very responsible and is eager to advance her skills in research and community trials. She has high personal goals for advancing her career as a pediatric physician assistant. She is extremely bright and talented and developed her own independent research question. She has been very proactive and passionate in working on developing her specific research question related to parent support and values on understanding adolescent obesity and health related behaviors and has shown she is willing to work hard on Project FIT. 2) What do you expect the student(s) to gain from this project and experience? 200 words max. You may include such information as skill development and professional experience.

Lauren will gain a comprehensive understanding of behavioral family-based interventions for health promotion in African Americans adolescents and their families. This will specifically enhance her understanding of evidenced-based research, scientific methods, and conceptual theories for understanding how large-scale theory based trials work to change lifestyles in underserved African American families. She will read and discuss scholarly work related to her project with me and her secondary mentor, Dr. Sweeney, our post-doc who oversees all of our data on the project. We will discuss articles each week that will help advance her knowledge of the obesity treatment evidenced-based research, scientific understanding of behavior change, and in particular the role of parent support and values in understanding lifestyle changes in adolescents who are overweight. In addition, she will learn valuable data analyses skills. Specifically, she will work directly with families engaged in the intervention program and will support them with the challenges they may be facing to prioritize health. Her specific project is well developed and will be presented at

Discovery Day as well as written up for publication. All of these skills will help Lauren progress into her future goal of pursuing a pediatric physician assistant career.

3) What are the anticipated outcomes, deliverables, and dissemination plan for this project? 200 words max. Discover USC alone is acceptable for dissemination.

Lauren’s project will be critical to our advancing our understanding of how important parenting support and values are for our intervention in terms of promoting success in long-term weight loss in overweight African American adolescents. Lauren believes that families who have positive family environments with positive parenting skills will be the most likely to show positive treatment outcomes. An important focus of her research question is that she will look at multiple outcomes including physical activity, diet, and weight related outcomes in her project. This will give us a comprehensive understanding of how parenting processes may be important in change healthy lifestyles in underserved African American youth. In addition, she anticipates developing an outstanding presentation for Discover USC and intends to publish this work in an important peer review journal.

4) Briefly describe how you will work with the student(s) during this project. 750 words max. Considering the tasks, deliverables, and timeline of this project, please address the specific ways you will help the applicant(s) develop the skills and techniques needed to complete the project. Please include meeting frequency and skills known vs needed.

Over the past 15 years I have mentored more that 200 undergraduate students and I believe that it is critical to provide hands-on mentoring on a weekly basis with students and to allow them opportunities to grow in developing their project and passions. I plan to work closely with Lauren and teach her on a weekly basis about obesity treatment programs that target underserved African American families and their youth. She will work closely with me and Dr. Sweeney to organize the literature and the data related to her specific question. She will also meet weekly with my National Institute of Health research team that will be an invaluable opportunity. She will learn interpersonal skills related to working with underserved families and she will advance her research knowledge and skills with the support of me, and my outstanding post-doctoral fellow (her secondary mentor), Dr. Sweeney. I am confident this will be an exceptional opportunity for Lauren’s development in her educational and career goals.

Magellan Scholar Secondary Mentor Collaboration Form Secondary Mentor Name: Allison Sweeney, PhD Department or Affiliation: Psychology Position or title: Postdoctoral Fellow Student(s) name(s): Lauren Crouse 1) Please comment briefly on your background and expertise as related to this project. My background is in Social and Health Psychology, as such I have a strong background in experimental design, data analysis, and theories of health behavior change. I am involved with data management and analysis for the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Project. I have been fortunate to have mentored several excellent undergraduate students in my last 1.5 years working at USC. 2) Briefly describe how you will work with the student(s) during this project. 750 words max. Considering the tasks, deliverables, and timeline of this project, please address the specific ways you will help the applicant(s) develop the skills and techniques needed to complete the project. Please include meeting frequency and skills known vs needed.

Lauren began working with the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Project in August of 2017. This semester she has played an important role in the Intervention Team, and Dr. Wilson and I plan to continue to elevate Lauren’s role in the lab so that she has the opportunity to be engaged with numerous aspects of our ongoing projects, including recruitment, working face to face with participants, measurement, and data entry, management, and analysis. Recently, I have had the opportunity to get to know Lauren more closely and have been meeting with her on a weekly basis to develop her research proposal. Dr. Wilson, Lauren, and I have been working collaboratively to develop a set of research questions, which will give Lauren an opportunity to build upon the content knowledge and emerging skill set she has been developing since joining our research team. In getting to know Lauren, I have found her to be an exceptionally smart, driven, and diligent student. It has been a true pleasure working with Lauren this semester and I look forward to continuing to mentor her in the coming months. Lauren’s proposed project is part of a larger, on-going randomized controlled trial, Project FIT. The overarching goal of Project FIT is to test the efficacy of a motivational and family-based intervention on weight loss in African American adolescents and their parents. Within Project FIT, Lauren has taken ownership over a subset of unique research questions. Specifically, she will be working to link and organize data that is collected at the onset of the study to answer innovative questions about how aspects of parentchild relationships relate to adolescent health outcomes. She will play an integral role in helping us to use our existing measures to develop an index for understanding how different types of parenting values map onto adolescent health behaviors. We will be providing Lauren with an office space with a desktop computer, which she will use to enter, organize, and analyze the data. I truly believe that Lauren’s research questions will make an important contribution toward furthering our understanding of how parental social support and values shape adolescent health outcomes. This project will present Lauren with an invaluable opportunity to learn more about underserved populations, weight loss interventions, and the significance of parent-child relationships. In her first semester working with Project FIT, Lauren has already developed an advanced understanding of research methodology, randomized controlled trials, and theories of health behavior change. A Magellan scholarship would offer Lauren an invaluable opportunity to further broaden her skill set to include expertise in data management, data analysis, academic writing, and poster presentations. As her secondary mentor, I plan to continue to meet with Lauren and Dr. Wilson on a weekly basis to oversee data management. Additionally, I plan to help guide her through analyzing the results of her project, creating a poster to present at Discover USC, and preparing a publication for Caravel. We hope also to involve Lauren in our weekly team meetings, which our entire staff attends to discuss the ongoing progress and current status of the project. Not only will these meetings help Lauren to feel like a valued member of the team, these meetings will also help to enrich her understanding of various aspects of the project, including participant recruitment, collecting psychosocial and anthropomorphic data, and the family-based intervention. As a secondary mentor, I hope to 1) broaden

Lauren’s understanding of and passion for scientific research and 2) provide her with a skill set that will help her to advance her future career goals.