Alison Tovar
Biographic Data
| ID | 3932204 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Alison Tovar |
| GIVEN NAMES | Alison |
| FAMILY NAME | Tovar |
| SIGNATURE | TOVAR A |
| AFFILIATIONS | Carrie A. Dooyema, Amy Lowry-Warnock, and Heidi M. Blanck are with the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Atlanta, GA. Kelly Hall is a fellow with the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN, placed within the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, CDC. Alison... |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 20 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 24 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2025 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Understanding the role of mothers and other caregivers in the context of infant feeding using the family ecological model
"It makes you feel worthless." The lived experience of discrimination in the US food assistance system
The longitudinal association between caregivers' perceived competence and autonomy and children's dietary consumption before and 10 months into the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful, potentially affecting caregivers' feeding choices. Caregivers play a role in shaping children's diets, yet few studies have explored how their competence and autonomy, defined by the Self-Determination Theory, impact children's diets. We examined the relationship between caregivers' autonomy and competence and their feeding practices before and during the first year of the pandemic. A national convenience…
Feasibility and acceptability of a personalized, pre-filled online grocery cart to improve benefit redemption and diet quality of grocery purchases among participants of the Special Supplemental Nutri…
Associations between child eating behaviors with eating patterns and diet quality in preschool-aged children
Applying a Social Determinants of Health Framework to Guide Digital Innovations That Reduce Disparities in Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases are among the top causes of global death, disability, and health care expenditure. Digital health interventions (e.g., patient support delivered via technologies such as smartphones, wearables, videoconferencing, social media, and virtual reality) may prevent and mitigate chronic disease by facilitating accessible, personalized care. Although these tools have promise to reach historically marginalized groups, who are disproportio…
Results from “Live Well”, a randomized controlled community-based participatory intervention to prevent obesity in new immigrant mother–child dyads
Findings from Live Well demonstrate the viability of utilizing a CBPR approach to address overweight and obesity among immigrant mothers. Given the higher-than-expected prevalence of overweight and obesity among mother-child dyads by ~ 6 years of U.S. residency, and lower maternal participation rates in the intervention, additional research is necessary to identify the optimal intervention length, retention strategies, and approach to jointly sup…
Community coalition efforts to prevent childhood obesity
SUU5 had positive effects on "upstream" drivers of early childhood obesity by increasing knowledge and engagement. These changes partially diffused through networks and may have changed "midstream" community policies, systems, and environments
Sorry Parents, Children Consume High Amounts of Candy before and after a Meal
Candy provides little nutritional value and contributes to children's energy intake from added sugars. Factors influencing children's candy intake remain largely unknown. This study describes children's total candy intake (kcal) before and after a meal and examines associations of candy intake in both conditions with children's temperament and appetite among a predominantly White, highly educated sample. Children ( n = 38, age 5-8 years) were giv…
Feeding and Activity Environments for Infants and Toddlers in Childcare Centers and Family Childcare Homes in Southeastern New England
Few studies have documented the food and physical activity (PA) environments of childcare settings caring for children <24 months of age, although they may be key contributors to developing child PA and diet patterns. We used an adapted Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation tool to assess the food and activity environments for infants and toddlers in childcare centers (n = 21) and family childcare homes (FCCH) (n = 20) and explored di…
Maternal Stress and Excessive Weight Gain in Infancy
Rapid weight gain in infancy increases the risk of developing obesity early in life and contributes significantly to racial and ethnic disparities in childhood obesity. While maternal perceived stress is associated with childhood obesity, little is known about the impact it has on infant weight gain. Therefore, this study explores the impact of maternal perceived stress on change in weight-for-length (WFL) z-scores and the risk of rapid weight ga…
Leveraging Federal, State, and Facility-Level Early Care and Education Systems and Providers Toward Optimal Child Nutrition in the First 1000 Days
A Safety Net Unraveling
The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States led most states to close or severely limit the capacity of their early child-care and education (ECE) programs. This loss affected millions of young children, including many of the 4.6 million low-income children who are provided free meals and snacks by their ECE programs through support from the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Although Congress swiftly authorized waivers that wou…
Grow well/Crecer bien
We outline a study methodology to examine feeding styles and practices and their association with early childhood obesity risk and enhance an existing intervention to promote healthy infant feeding and growth among children in low-income families
Improving nutrition and physical activity environments of family child care homes
(# NCT02452645 ) ClinicalTrials.gov Trial registered on May 22, 2015
Development and testing of a novel survey to assess Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion of childhood obesity prevention efforts
The survey measures upstream stakeholder properties-social networks, knowledge, and engagement-with good test-retest reliability. Future research related to Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion should focus on prospective change and survey validation for intervention effectiveness
A Pilot Feasibility Study to Improve Food Parenting Practices
A home-based MI intervention may be an effective strategy for improving maternal food parenting practices in low-income populations. Most mothers found that watching themselves was informative and applicable to their own lives
Recruitment of New Immigrants Into a Randomized Controlled Prevention Trial
The family child care home environment and children's diet quality
Self-reported and observed feeding practices of Rhode Island Head Start teachers
FTO genotype and weight status among preadolescents
Depressive Symptoms and Weight Status Among Women Recently Immigrating to the US
Modifiable Predictors Associated with Having a Gestational Weight Gain Goal
The Impact of Gestational Weight Gain and Diet on Abnormal Glucose Tolerance During Pregnancy in Hispanic Women
A Safety Net Unraveling
The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States led most states to close or severely limit the capacity of their early child-care and education (ECE) programs. This loss affected millions of young children, including many of the 4.6 million low-income children who are provided free meals and snacks by their ECE programs through support from the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Although Congress swiftly authorized waivers that wou…
Leveraging Federal, State, and Facility-Level Early Care and Education Systems and Providers Toward Optimal Child Nutrition in the First 1000 Days
FTO genotype and weight status among preadolescents
Self-reported and observed feeding practices of Rhode Island Head Start teachers
Associations between child eating behaviors with eating patterns and diet quality in preschool-aged children
The family child care home environment and children's diet quality
The Impact of Gestational Weight Gain and Diet on Abnormal Glucose Tolerance During Pregnancy in Hispanic Women
Modifiable Predictors Associated with Having a Gestational Weight Gain Goal
Depressive Symptoms and Weight Status Among Women Recently Immigrating to the US
FTO genotype and weight status among preadolescents
Development and testing of a novel survey to assess Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion of childhood obesity prevention efforts
The survey measures upstream stakeholder properties-social networks, knowledge, and engagement-with good test-retest reliability. Future research related to Stakeholder-driven Community Diffusion should focus on prospective change and survey validation for intervention effectiveness
A Pilot Feasibility Study to Improve Food Parenting Practices
A home-based MI intervention may be an effective strategy for improving maternal food parenting practices in low-income populations. Most mothers found that watching themselves was informative and applicable to their own lives
Recruitment of New Immigrants Into a Randomized Controlled Prevention Trial
The family child care home environment and children's diet quality
Self-reported and observed feeding practices of Rhode Island Head Start teachers
Improving nutrition and physical activity environments of family child care homes
(# NCT02452645 ) ClinicalTrials.gov Trial registered on May 22, 2015
Grow well/Crecer bien
We outline a study methodology to examine feeding styles and practices and their association with early childhood obesity risk and enhance an existing intervention to promote healthy infant feeding and growth among children in low-income families
A Safety Net Unraveling
The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States led most states to close or severely limit the capacity of their early child-care and education (ECE) programs. This loss affected millions of young children, including many of the 4.6 million low-income children who are provided free meals and snacks by their ECE programs through support from the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Although Congress swiftly authorized waivers that wou…
Sorry Parents, Children Consume High Amounts of Candy before and after a Meal
Candy provides little nutritional value and contributes to children's energy intake from added sugars. Factors influencing children's candy intake remain largely unknown. This study describes children's total candy intake (kcal) before and after a meal and examines associations of candy intake in both conditions with children's temperament and appetite among a predominantly White, highly educated sample. Children ( n = 38, age 5-8 years) were giv…
Feeding and Activity Environments for Infants and Toddlers in Childcare Centers and Family Childcare Homes in Southeastern New England
Few studies have documented the food and physical activity (PA) environments of childcare settings caring for children <24 months of age, although they may be key contributors to developing child PA and diet patterns. We used an adapted Environment and Policy Assessment and Observation tool to assess the food and activity environments for infants and toddlers in childcare centers (n = 21) and family childcare homes (FCCH) (n = 20) and explored di…
Maternal Stress and Excessive Weight Gain in Infancy
Rapid weight gain in infancy increases the risk of developing obesity early in life and contributes significantly to racial and ethnic disparities in childhood obesity. While maternal perceived stress is associated with childhood obesity, little is known about the impact it has on infant weight gain. Therefore, this study explores the impact of maternal perceived stress on change in weight-for-length (WFL) z-scores and the risk of rapid weight ga…
Leveraging Federal, State, and Facility-Level Early Care and Education Systems and Providers Toward Optimal Child Nutrition in the First 1000 Days
Applying a Social Determinants of Health Framework to Guide Digital Innovations That Reduce Disparities in Chronic Disease
Chronic diseases are among the top causes of global death, disability, and health care expenditure. Digital health interventions (e.g., patient support delivered via technologies such as smartphones, wearables, videoconferencing, social media, and virtual reality) may prevent and mitigate chronic disease by facilitating accessible, personalized care. Although these tools have promise to reach historically marginalized groups, who are disproportio…
Results from “Live Well”, a randomized controlled community-based participatory intervention to prevent obesity in new immigrant mother–child dyads
Findings from Live Well demonstrate the viability of utilizing a CBPR approach to address overweight and obesity among immigrant mothers. Given the higher-than-expected prevalence of overweight and obesity among mother-child dyads by ~ 6 years of U.S. residency, and lower maternal participation rates in the intervention, additional research is necessary to identify the optimal intervention length, retention strategies, and approach to jointly sup…
Community coalition efforts to prevent childhood obesity
SUU5 had positive effects on "upstream" drivers of early childhood obesity by increasing knowledge and engagement. These changes partially diffused through networks and may have changed "midstream" community policies, systems, and environments
The longitudinal association between caregivers' perceived competence and autonomy and children's dietary consumption before and 10 months into the Covid-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has been stressful, potentially affecting caregivers' feeding choices. Caregivers play a role in shaping children's diets, yet few studies have explored how their competence and autonomy, defined by the Self-Determination Theory, impact children's diets. We examined the relationship between caregivers' autonomy and competence and their feeding practices before and during the first year of the pandemic. A national convenience…
Feasibility and acceptability of a personalized, pre-filled online grocery cart to improve benefit redemption and diet quality of grocery purchases among participants of the Special Supplemental Nutri…
Associations between child eating behaviors with eating patterns and diet quality in preschool-aged children
Understanding the role of mothers and other caregivers in the context of infant feeding using the family ecological model
"It makes you feel worthless." The lived experience of discrimination in the US food assistance system
Medicine (22 works) · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet (17 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Nursing (9 works) · Public health (9 works) · Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues (8 works) · Developmental psychology (8 works) · Gerontology (8 works) · Obesity (8 works) · Environmental health (7 works)