Robert C Whitaker
Biographic Data
| ID | 115168 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Robert C Whitaker |
| GIVEN NAMES | Robert C |
| FAMILY NAME | Whitaker |
| SIGNATURE | WHITAKER R C |
| AFFILIATIONS | Temple University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1697-8279 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 34 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 178 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 34 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1990 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
The Association Between Psychological Flexibility and Sense of Belonging Among U.S. Undergraduate Students
A Prospective Study of the Association Between School Connectedness in Adolescence and Social Connection in Adulthood
BACKGROUND: Adolescent school connectedness is a protective factor for adverse adult health outcomes, but its potential promotive effects on adult social connection have not been examined. METHODS: Data from 5 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Waves I [1994-95] - V [2016-2018]) were used to examine the covariate-adjusted association between adolescent school connectedness (6 items, Wave II) and 6 indicators o…
Deaf/hard of hearing ecological assessment form—child (Deaf-C)
Only about 1% of the children receiving special education services are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH). This group of children is highly heterogeneous with respect to a range of factors such as age of onset, degree of hearing loss, language and communication choices and access, and educational settings. Capturing the complex background of a DHH child is a critical component of an appropriate and accurate evaluation. A structured developmental histo…
Relational Health as a Pathway from Trauma to Flourishing in School Communities
BACKGROUND: Because traumatic life experiences are common, teaching and learning can be difficult without recognizing how trauma can make people feel psychologically unsafe. Safety can be restored through healthy relationships. CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEORY: We present a framework for how relational health-the capacity to develop and maintain safe, stable, and nurturing relationships with others-may allow flourishing in school communities, even amidst …
Teacher connection and student perspective-taking and their association with school belonging among adolescents in 62 countries
Addressing worldwide declines in adolescents’ school belonging requires identifying factors to target in reversing this trend. We hypothesized that adolescents with higher levels of teacher connection and perspective-taking would have greater school belonging and that the joint association of both factors with school belonging would be more than additive. We analysed cross-sectional survey data from 15-year-olds in 62 countries (N = 392,096) coll…
The Association Between Teacher Connection and Flourishing Among Early Adolescents in 25 Countries
We aimed to determine whether early adolescents who report higher levels of teacher connection have a greater prevalence of flourishing and whether this association is present across levels of parent connection. We analyzed cross-sectional data, collected in the International Survey of Children’s Well-Being (2016–2019), from 33,269 11- to 13-year-olds in 25 countries. The teacher connection score, analyzed as quartiles, asked about care, support,…
The interaction of adverse childhood experiences and gender as risk factors for depression and anxiety disorders in US adults: A cross-sectional study
For both MDE and AD, there was synergy between the two risk factors of exposure to ACEs and being female. Identification and treatment of MDE and AD may benefit from understanding the mechanisms involved in the synergistic interaction of gender with ACEs
The association of daily spiritual experiences with depression among Head Start staff
Family Resilience And Connection Promote Flourishing Among US Children, Even Amid Adversity
The outcome of flourishing and its predictors have not been well documented among US children, especially those who face adversity. Using data for 2016 and 2017 from the National Survey of Children's Health, we determined the prevalence and predictors of flourishing among US children ages 6-17. A three-item index included indicators of flourishing: children's interest and curiosity in learning new things, persistence in completing tasks, and capa…
Snacks are not food”. Low-income, urban mothers' perceptions of feeding snacks to their preschool-aged children
Workplace stress and the quality of teacher–children relationships in Head Start
The Physical and Mental Health of Head Start Staff: The Pennsylvania Head Start Staff Wellness Survey, 2012
INTRODUCTION: Despite attention to the health of low-income children in Head Start, little is known about the health of adults working for the program. The objective of our study was to compare the physical and mental health of women working in Pennsylvania Head Start programs with the health of US women who have similar sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: We used data from a web-based survey in 2012 in which 2,199 of 3,375 (65.2%) staff i…
Screen Time at Home and School among Low-Income Children Attending Head Start
Physical activity levels during adventure-physical education lessons
Adventure-physical education has been proposed to promote adolescents’ physical development, but little is known about physical activity levels during such lessons. Using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time, we observed students’ (ages 11–14 years) physical activity levels in co-educational classes during 43 adventure-physical education lessons at seven public schools. The mean percentage (±SD) of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous …
Amount and environmental predictors of outdoor playtime at home and school: A cross-sectional analysis of a national sample of preschool-aged children attending Head Start
Neighborhoods, Obesity, and Diabetes — A Randomized Social Experiment
BACKGROUND: The question of whether neighborhood environment contributes directly to the development of obesity and diabetes remains unresolved. The study reported on here uses data from a social experiment to assess the association of randomly assigned variation in neighborhood conditions with obesity and diabetes. METHODS: From 1994 through 1998, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) randomly assigned 4498 women with children li…
Perceptions of Low-Income African-American Mothers About Excessive Gestational Weight Gain
Household Routines and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children
OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the prevalence of obesity in preschool-aged children and exposure to 3 household routines: regularly eating the evening meal as a family, obtaining adequate sleep, and limiting screen-viewing time. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of approximately 8550 four-year-old US children who were assessed in 2005 in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, …
How Low-Income Mothers With Overweight Preschool Children Make Sense of Obesity
Epidemiologic and qualitative studies have found that most mothers with overweight preschool children do not think their children are overweight. This might present a challenge for clinicians who wish to address obesity in young children. To understand mothers' perceptions of their overweight children's weight, we conducted semistructured interviews with 21 mothers of overweight preschool children enrolled in Kentucky's Special Supplemental Nutri…
Maternal Feeding Strategies, Child Eating Behaviors, and Child BMI in Low‐Income African‐American Preschoolers
Objective: To test the hypothesis that low‐income African‐American preschool children would have a higher BMI if their mothers reported greater “restriction” and “control” in feeding and if mothers reported that children showed greater “food responsiveness” and “desire to drink.” In addition, to test whether higher maternal “pressure to eat” would be associated with lower child BMI. Research Methods and Procedures: A questionnaire was completed b…
Measuring Physical Environments of Parks and Playgrounds: EAPRS Instrument Development and Inter-Rater Reliability
Background: Reliable and comprehensive measurement of physical activity settings is needed to examine environment-behavior relations. Methods: Surveyed park professionals ( n = 34) and users ( n = 29) identified park and playground elements (e.g., trail) and qualities (e.g., condition). Responses guided observational instrument development for environmental assessment of public recreation spaces (EAPRS). Item inter-rater reliability was evaluated…
Food Insecurity and the Risks of Depression and Anxiety in Mothers and Behavior Problems in their Preschool-Aged Children
OBJECTIVES. We sought to determine if the prevalence of depression and anxiety in mothers and the prevalence of behavior problems in preschool-aged children are more common when mothers report being food insecure. METHODS. A cross-sectional survey of 2870 mothers of 3-year-old children was conducted in 2001–2003 in 18 large US cities. On the basis of the adult food-security scale calculated from the US Household Food Security Survey Module, mothe…
Neighborhood Safety, Collective Efficacy, and Obesity in Women with Young Children
Objective : To test the hypothesis that mothers of young children would have a higher prevalence of obesity if they lived in neighborhoods that they perceived as unsafe or as having a low level of collective efficacy. Research Methods and Procedures : Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a cross‐sectional analysis was conducted of 2445 women living in 20 large (population ≥ 200, 000) U.S. cities. BMI was measured on 72%…
A National Study of Neighborhood Safety, Outdoor Play, Television Viewing, and Obesity in Preschool Children
Objective. To test the hypothesis that preschool children have a higher prevalence of obesity, spend less time playing outdoors, and spend more time watching television (TV) when they live in neighborhoods that their mothers perceive as unsafe. Methods. In a cross-sectional survey in 20 large US cities, mothers reported the average daily time of outdoor play and TV viewing for their 3-year-old children, and the children's BMI was measured. Matern…
Resurrecting Free Play in Young Children: Looking Beyond Fitness and Fatness to Attention, Affiliation, and Affect
We have observed that the nature and amount of free play in young children has changed. Our purpose in this article is to demonstrate why play, and particularly active, unstructured, outdoor play, needs to be restored in children's lives. We propose that efforts to increase physical activity in young children might be more successful if physical activity is promoted using different language-encouraging play-and if a different set of outcomes are …
Acculturation and marijuana and cocaine use: Findings from HHANES 1982-84
We examined the relation between acculturation and illicit drug use among Hispanics in the United States employing data from the 1982-84 Hispanic Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (HHANES). Across all Hispanic groups, acculturation into US society, as reflected in English language use, was associated with higher rates of illicit drug use even after sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, income, and education were considered. Signifi…
Workplace stress and the quality of teacher–children relationships in Head Start
Snacks are not food”. Low-income, urban mothers' perceptions of feeding snacks to their preschool-aged children
A Reexamination of Smoking Before, During, and After Pregnancy
Objectives. This study examined the patterns and correlates of maternal smoking before, during, and after pregnancy. Methods. We examined socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical risk factors associated with maternal smoking in a nationally representative cohort of women (n = 8285) who were surveyed 17 ± 5 months and again 35 ± 5 months after delivery. Results. Smoking rates among women with a college degree decreased 30% from before pregnancy to…
Mothers misunderstand questions on a feeding questionnaire
How Low-Income Mothers With Overweight Preschool Children Make Sense of Obesity
Epidemiologic and qualitative studies have found that most mothers with overweight preschool children do not think their children are overweight. This might present a challenge for clinicians who wish to address obesity in young children. To understand mothers' perceptions of their overweight children's weight, we conducted semistructured interviews with 21 mothers of overweight preschool children enrolled in Kentucky's Special Supplemental Nutri…
Amount and environmental predictors of outdoor playtime at home and school: A cross-sectional analysis of a national sample of preschool-aged children attending Head Start
The association of daily spiritual experiences with depression among Head Start staff
Screen Time at Home and School among Low-Income Children Attending Head Start
Acculturation and marijuana and cocaine use: Findings from HHANES 1982-84
We examined the relation between acculturation and illicit drug use among Hispanics in the United States employing data from the 1982-84 Hispanic Health and Nutrition Evaluation Survey (HHANES). Across all Hispanic groups, acculturation into US society, as reflected in English language use, was associated with higher rates of illicit drug use even after sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, income, and education were considered. Signifi…
Predicting Obesity in Young Adulthood from Childhood and Parental Obesity
Background Childhood obesity increases the risk of obesity in adulthood, but how parental obesity affects the chances of a child's becoming an obese adult is unknown. We investigated the risk of obesity in young adulthood associated with both obesity in childhood and obesity in one or both parents.
Maternal Perceptions of Overweight Preschool Children
CONTEXT: Childhood obesity is a major public health problem, and prevention efforts should begin early in life and involve parents. OBJECTIVE: To determine what factors are associated with mothers' failure to perceive when their preschool children are overweight. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTINGS: Offices of private pediatricians and clinics of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). PARTICIPANTS:…
Maternal Feeding Practices and Beliefs and Their Relationships to Overweight in Early Childhood
To better explore possible factors that may lead to childhood obesity, we developed and analyzed two new instruments that assess maternal feeding practices and beliefs. The Infant Feeding Questionnaire (IFQ) assesses feeding during the entire first year of life and was administered to 453 mothers of children 11 to 23 months old. The Preschooler Feeding Questionnaire (PFQ) assesses feeding of young children between the ages of 2 to 5 years and was…
Why Don't Low-Income Mothers Worry About Their Preschoolers Being Overweight?
CONTEXT: Mothers are in an important position to prevent obesity in their children by shaping early diet and activity patterns. However, many mothers of overweight preschool children are not worried about their child's weight. OBJECTIVE: To explore mothers' perceptions about how they determine when a child is overweight, why children become overweight, and what barriers exist to preventing or managing childhood obesity. DESIGN: Three focus groups…
A Prospective Study of the Role of Depression in the Development and Persistence of Adolescent Obesity
Background. Adolescent obesity is a strong predictor of adult obesity, and adult obesity has been associated with depression, especially in women. Studies have also suggested an association between depression in adolescence and higher body mass index (BMI) in adulthood. Whether depression leads to obesity or obesity causes depression is unclear. Objective. To determine in longitudinal analyses whether depressed mood predicts the development and p…
A Reexamination of Smoking Before, During, and After Pregnancy
Objectives. This study examined the patterns and correlates of maternal smoking before, during, and after pregnancy. Methods. We examined socioeconomic, demographic, and clinical risk factors associated with maternal smoking in a nationally representative cohort of women (n = 8285) who were surveyed 17 ± 5 months and again 35 ± 5 months after delivery. Results. Smoking rates among women with a college degree decreased 30% from before pregnancy to…
Parental Report of Outdoor Playtime as a Measure of Physical Activity in Preschool-aged Children
BACKGROUND: Keeping young children physically active is an important strategy to promote their health and well-being. To our knowledge, survey measures of physical activity in preschool-aged children are unavailable. Time spent playing outdoors is a potential surrogate measure of physical activity in preschoolers, but parental-report measures of outdoor playtime have not been evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To compare a direct measure of physical activity …
Mothers misunderstand questions on a feeding questionnaire
A National Study of Neighborhood Safety, Outdoor Play, Television Viewing, and Obesity in Preschool Children
Objective. To test the hypothesis that preschool children have a higher prevalence of obesity, spend less time playing outdoors, and spend more time watching television (TV) when they live in neighborhoods that their mothers perceive as unsafe. Methods. In a cross-sectional survey in 20 large US cities, mothers reported the average daily time of outdoor play and TV viewing for their 3-year-old children, and the children's BMI was measured. Matern…
Resurrecting Free Play in Young Children: Looking Beyond Fitness and Fatness to Attention, Affiliation, and Affect
We have observed that the nature and amount of free play in young children has changed. Our purpose in this article is to demonstrate why play, and particularly active, unstructured, outdoor play, needs to be restored in children's lives. We propose that efforts to increase physical activity in young children might be more successful if physical activity is promoted using different language-encouraging play-and if a different set of outcomes are …
Maternal Feeding Strategies, Child Eating Behaviors, and Child BMI in Low‐Income African‐American Preschoolers
Objective: To test the hypothesis that low‐income African‐American preschool children would have a higher BMI if their mothers reported greater “restriction” and “control” in feeding and if mothers reported that children showed greater “food responsiveness” and “desire to drink.” In addition, to test whether higher maternal “pressure to eat” would be associated with lower child BMI. Research Methods and Procedures: A questionnaire was completed b…
Measuring Physical Environments of Parks and Playgrounds: EAPRS Instrument Development and Inter-Rater Reliability
Background: Reliable and comprehensive measurement of physical activity settings is needed to examine environment-behavior relations. Methods: Surveyed park professionals ( n = 34) and users ( n = 29) identified park and playground elements (e.g., trail) and qualities (e.g., condition). Responses guided observational instrument development for environmental assessment of public recreation spaces (EAPRS). Item inter-rater reliability was evaluated…
Food Insecurity and the Risks of Depression and Anxiety in Mothers and Behavior Problems in their Preschool-Aged Children
OBJECTIVES. We sought to determine if the prevalence of depression and anxiety in mothers and the prevalence of behavior problems in preschool-aged children are more common when mothers report being food insecure. METHODS. A cross-sectional survey of 2870 mothers of 3-year-old children was conducted in 2001–2003 in 18 large US cities. On the basis of the adult food-security scale calculated from the US Household Food Security Survey Module, mothe…
Neighborhood Safety, Collective Efficacy, and Obesity in Women with Young Children
Objective : To test the hypothesis that mothers of young children would have a higher prevalence of obesity if they lived in neighborhoods that they perceived as unsafe or as having a low level of collective efficacy. Research Methods and Procedures : Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a cross‐sectional analysis was conducted of 2445 women living in 20 large (population ≥ 200, 000) U.S. cities. BMI was measured on 72%…
Household Routines and Obesity in US Preschool-Aged Children
OBJECTIVE: To determine the association between the prevalence of obesity in preschool-aged children and exposure to 3 household routines: regularly eating the evening meal as a family, obtaining adequate sleep, and limiting screen-viewing time. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of a nationally representative sample of approximately 8550 four-year-old US children who were assessed in 2005 in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, …
How Low-Income Mothers With Overweight Preschool Children Make Sense of Obesity
Epidemiologic and qualitative studies have found that most mothers with overweight preschool children do not think their children are overweight. This might present a challenge for clinicians who wish to address obesity in young children. To understand mothers' perceptions of their overweight children's weight, we conducted semistructured interviews with 21 mothers of overweight preschool children enrolled in Kentucky's Special Supplemental Nutri…
Neighborhoods, Obesity, and Diabetes — A Randomized Social Experiment
BACKGROUND: The question of whether neighborhood environment contributes directly to the development of obesity and diabetes remains unresolved. The study reported on here uses data from a social experiment to assess the association of randomly assigned variation in neighborhood conditions with obesity and diabetes. METHODS: From 1994 through 1998, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) randomly assigned 4498 women with children li…
Perceptions of Low-Income African-American Mothers About Excessive Gestational Weight Gain
Physical activity levels during adventure-physical education lessons
Adventure-physical education has been proposed to promote adolescents’ physical development, but little is known about physical activity levels during such lessons. Using the System for Observing Fitness Instruction Time, we observed students’ (ages 11–14 years) physical activity levels in co-educational classes during 43 adventure-physical education lessons at seven public schools. The mean percentage (±SD) of time spent in moderate-to-vigorous …
Amount and environmental predictors of outdoor playtime at home and school: A cross-sectional analysis of a national sample of preschool-aged children attending Head Start
The Physical and Mental Health of Head Start Staff: The Pennsylvania Head Start Staff Wellness Survey, 2012
INTRODUCTION: Despite attention to the health of low-income children in Head Start, little is known about the health of adults working for the program. The objective of our study was to compare the physical and mental health of women working in Pennsylvania Head Start programs with the health of US women who have similar sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: We used data from a web-based survey in 2012 in which 2,199 of 3,375 (65.2%) staff i…
Screen Time at Home and School among Low-Income Children Attending Head Start
Workplace stress and the quality of teacher–children relationships in Head Start
Snacks are not food”. Low-income, urban mothers' perceptions of feeding snacks to their preschool-aged children
Medicine (30 works) · Psychology (22 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (17 works) · Developmental psychology (15 works) · Demography (13 works) · Environmental health (12 works) · Obesity (12 works) · Overweight (10 works) · Childhood obesity (8 works) · Psychiatry (8 works)