Penny A Ralston
Biographic Data
| ID | 1565227 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Penny A Ralston |
| GIVEN NAMES | Penny A |
| FAMILY NAME | Ralston |
| SIGNATURE | RALSTON P A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Florida State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-1065-0977 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 17 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 13 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 1 |
“Sometimes it's the bullying”
Purpose Childhood obesity rates continue to increase, especially for Black Americans. Few church-based health interventions have focused on children and youth. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to determine church leaders' perceptions of the dietary health of children and youth.Method As a follow-up study to the Health for Hearts United Dissemination Trial, a focus group was conducted with one of the participating churches in …
Racial Stress, Social Support, and Racial Socialization Among Rural Black Mothers
Racial stress significantly affects Black mothers and their children. To cope, mothers often use racial socialization strategies, such as preparation for bias, cultural socialization, and promotion of mistrust, to help their children manage race‐related stress. Guided by the Racial Encounter Coping Appraisal and Socialization Theory, this study investigated the relations among racial stress, social support, and racial socialization among low‐inco…
Religiosity and health promoting behaviors in middle-older African Americans
The present study of 231 middle-aged to old-aged African Americans aimed to elucidate potential psychological mechanisms involving behavioral control and behavioral attitudes that may link individual religiosity to exercise participation and fruit and vegetable consumption. The alternative mechanisms were tested at (a) the behavior level, (b) the domain level, and (c) a multi-level (a hybrid model of a and b) and were empirically compared. Import…
Health for Hearts United Longitudinal Trial
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, with African Americans experiencing higher age-adjusted mortality compared to Whites. African American women in particular carry a high CVD burden due to more exposure to adverse personal and socioenvironmental challenges. Church-based interventions can improve health behaviors and health status of African Americans, yet few have addressed stress-related…
Religiosity and Physical Health of Middle–Old Aged African Americans
Objective: This study examined a psychological process (i.e., sense of control) that links religiosity to self-reported physical health in older African Americans. Methods: Two waves of data from 231 middle-old aged African Americans (AAs) were used to test two specific hypotheses: (a) religiosity influences changes in sense of control middle-old aged AAs, and (b) sense of control influences changes in global physical health in middle-old aged AA…
The Church Bridge Project
The Church Bridge Project
Young adults and primary care providers are difficult to engage in church-based interventions. Church leaders were comfortable with a collaborate model for decision making, but not an empower model. Churches remain a successful method to reach African Americans; however, more research is needed to motivate young adults to participate in health intervention research
Antioxidant intake in relation to serum C-reactive protein in mid-life and older African Americans
Objective: African Americans (AAs) experience greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to other ethnic/racial groups. Low-grade chronic inflammation (often quantified by serum C-reactive protein CRP) is a well-documented risk factor for CVD. A healthy diet is plentiful in antioxidant nutrients and is associated with a lower inflammatory status and CVD risk. Our objective was to examine the relationship between dietary intake of…
The Development of Health for Hearts United
This article describes Health for Hearts United, a longitudinal church-based intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in mid-life and older African Americans. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches and undergirded by both the Socio-ecological Theory and the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, the 18-month intervention was developed in six north Florida churches, randomly assigned as treatment or comp…
Health insurance status, psychological processes, and older African Americans' use of preventive care
The current study examined the influence of health insurance, psychological processes (i.e. psychological competency and vulnerability), and the interaction of these two constructs on older African Americans' utilization of five preventive care services (e.g. cholesterol screening and mammogram/prostate examination) using data from 211 older African Americans (median age = 60). In addition to direct effects, the influence of health insurance some…
Perceptions, Experiences, and Use of Resources as Selected HBCU Students Transition to Graduate and Professional Roles in Family and Consumer Sciences
The purpose of the research was to determine perceptions, experiences, and use of resources by students (n = 23) from three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Prior to this research, the students had been selected for SciencPrep, a program that exposes students to graduate education and research in family and consumer sciences. Analysis of focus group data resulted in five themes: relationships, professional experiences, inform…
The Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge and the Cultural Kaleidoscope
As a profession established during the Progressive Era when industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and other social forces were prevalent, family and consumer sciences is once again faced with similar social, economic, and technological societal conditions. This article addresses how family and consumer sciences, through its body of knowledge, is positioned to address the social changes of the 21st century. In particular, the article exami…
Diversifying the Health Professions
This mentoring model resulted in multicultural students who successfully entered health professions
The Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge and the Cultural Kaleidoscope
As a profession established during the Progressive Era when industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and other social forces were prevalent, family and consumer sciences is once again faced with similar social, economic, and technological societal conditions. This article addresses how family and consumer sciences, through its body of knowledge, is positioned to address the social changes of the 21st century. In particular, the article exami…
The Church Bridge Project
Young adults and primary care providers are difficult to engage in church-based interventions. Church leaders were comfortable with a collaborate model for decision making, but not an empower model. Churches remain a successful method to reach African Americans; however, more research is needed to motivate young adults to participate in health intervention research
Diversifying the Health Professions
This mentoring model resulted in multicultural students who successfully entered health professions
The Family and Consumer Sciences Body of Knowledge and the Cultural Kaleidoscope
As a profession established during the Progressive Era when industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and other social forces were prevalent, family and consumer sciences is once again faced with similar social, economic, and technological societal conditions. This article addresses how family and consumer sciences, through its body of knowledge, is positioned to address the social changes of the 21st century. In particular, the article exami…
Perceptions, Experiences, and Use of Resources as Selected HBCU Students Transition to Graduate and Professional Roles in Family and Consumer Sciences
The purpose of the research was to determine perceptions, experiences, and use of resources by students (n = 23) from three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Prior to this research, the students had been selected for SciencPrep, a program that exposes students to graduate education and research in family and consumer sciences. Analysis of focus group data resulted in five themes: relationships, professional experiences, inform…
Health insurance status, psychological processes, and older African Americans' use of preventive care
The current study examined the influence of health insurance, psychological processes (i.e. psychological competency and vulnerability), and the interaction of these two constructs on older African Americans' utilization of five preventive care services (e.g. cholesterol screening and mammogram/prostate examination) using data from 211 older African Americans (median age = 60). In addition to direct effects, the influence of health insurance some…
The Development of Health for Hearts United
This article describes Health for Hearts United, a longitudinal church-based intervention to reduce cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in mid-life and older African Americans. Using community-based participatory research (CBPR) approaches and undergirded by both the Socio-ecological Theory and the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change, the 18-month intervention was developed in six north Florida churches, randomly assigned as treatment or comp…
The Church Bridge Project
The Church Bridge Project
Young adults and primary care providers are difficult to engage in church-based interventions. Church leaders were comfortable with a collaborate model for decision making, but not an empower model. Churches remain a successful method to reach African Americans; however, more research is needed to motivate young adults to participate in health intervention research
Antioxidant intake in relation to serum C-reactive protein in mid-life and older African Americans
Objective: African Americans (AAs) experience greater prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared to other ethnic/racial groups. Low-grade chronic inflammation (often quantified by serum C-reactive protein CRP) is a well-documented risk factor for CVD. A healthy diet is plentiful in antioxidant nutrients and is associated with a lower inflammatory status and CVD risk. Our objective was to examine the relationship between dietary intake of…
Religiosity and Physical Health of Middle–Old Aged African Americans
Objective: This study examined a psychological process (i.e., sense of control) that links religiosity to self-reported physical health in older African Americans. Methods: Two waves of data from 231 middle-old aged African Americans (AAs) were used to test two specific hypotheses: (a) religiosity influences changes in sense of control middle-old aged AAs, and (b) sense of control influences changes in global physical health in middle-old aged AA…
Health for Hearts United Longitudinal Trial
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be the leading cause of death in the United States, with African Americans experiencing higher age-adjusted mortality compared to Whites. African American women in particular carry a high CVD burden due to more exposure to adverse personal and socioenvironmental challenges. Church-based interventions can improve health behaviors and health status of African Americans, yet few have addressed stress-related…
Racial Stress, Social Support, and Racial Socialization Among Rural Black Mothers
Racial stress significantly affects Black mothers and their children. To cope, mothers often use racial socialization strategies, such as preparation for bias, cultural socialization, and promotion of mistrust, to help their children manage race‐related stress. Guided by the Racial Encounter Coping Appraisal and Socialization Theory, this study investigated the relations among racial stress, social support, and racial socialization among low‐inco…
Religiosity and health promoting behaviors in middle-older African Americans
The present study of 231 middle-aged to old-aged African Americans aimed to elucidate potential psychological mechanisms involving behavioral control and behavioral attitudes that may link individual religiosity to exercise participation and fruit and vegetable consumption. The alternative mechanisms were tested at (a) the behavior level, (b) the domain level, and (c) a multi-level (a hybrid model of a and b) and were empirically compared. Import…
“Sometimes it's the bullying”
Purpose Childhood obesity rates continue to increase, especially for Black Americans. Few church-based health interventions have focused on children and youth. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative study was to determine church leaders' perceptions of the dietary health of children and youth.Method As a follow-up study to the Health for Hearts United Dissemination Trial, a focus group was conducted with one of the participating churches in …
Medicine (10 works) · Psychology (10 works) · Gerontology (7 works) · Sociology (6 works) · Political science (5 works) · Food Security and Health in Diverse Populations (4 works) · Internal Medicine (4 works) · Medical education (4 works) · Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology (4 works) · Clinical Psychology (3 works)