Sitara M Weerakoon
Biographic Data
| ID | 6579259 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sitara M Weerakoon |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sitara M |
| FAMILY NAME | Weerakoon |
| SIGNATURE | WEERAKOON S M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Yale University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-1006-1950 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 13 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 0 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 13 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 0 |
Profiles of Risk
Neighborhood Violence Impacts on HIV and STI Testing Among Sexual Minority Youth in the United States
In the United States (U.S.), sexual minority youth (SMY) are disproportionately impacted by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and structurally marginalized from routine testing for HIV and STI. This study examines neighborhood violence predictors (saw violence, safety concerns, and being threatened) on HIV and STI testing among a sample of SMY in the U.S. Data came from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (YRBSS)…
Adolescent Substance Use Among High School Students Before and After the Covid-19 Pandemic
Background The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for many during the middle-to-high school transition, a critical period for initiation of substance use. This study examines how reduced in-school peer exposure was associated with substance use patterns among ninth and tenth graders before and after the pandemic.Objectives To examine the relationship between differential in-school peer exposure to substance use patterns among ninth and tenth g…
Spatializing Substance Use and Sexual Behaviors of Queer Men and Non-binary Individuals During Covid-19
Cannabis Use and Mental Health Coping Behavior among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Women during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Persistent racial ethnic inequities in mental health care and access to cannabis were magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need to better understand coping behaviors among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women cannabis consumers. This study aimed to evaluate cannabis use patterns and mental health coping behaviors among BIPOC women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-reported data from 1,239 womenwho consumed can…
Spatial Associations of Alcohol Outlet Density with Neighborhood Crime and Child Opportunity
BACKGROUND: Passaic county, New Jersey (NJ) has a high population density and diverse racial composition, with significant socioeconomic disparities that vary by city. Such disparities expose residents, and particularly children, to environmental conditions that may be harmful to their health and wellbeing such as high exposure to crime, violence, and high amounts of alcohol outlets. This study explores the association between alcohol outlet dens…
Racial and ethnic disparities in chronic disease risk in adolescence after prenatal polydrug exposure
Racial disparities exist in fetal development which in turn can influence growth and development of chronic disease later in life. The purpose of this study was to explore potential racial and ethnic differences in chronic disease risk factors throughout the pediatric years given prenatal exposure to substance use. Data from the Maternal Lifestyle Study cohort was used for this analysis. Urine toxicology confirmed maternal substance use (y/n) and…
A Nationally Representative Analysis of Substance Use and Sexual Health Correlates Associated with HIV and STI Testing among Adolescents
Applying a community‐engaged participatory machine learning model
Although predictive algorithms have been described as the definitive solution to bias in health care, machine learning techniques may also propagate existing health inequities within the community context. However, there may be ways in which machine learning techniques can help community psychologists, public health researchers and practitioners identify patterns in data in a way that empowers improved outcomes. Incorporating community insight in…
Comparison of Long-Term Complications of Covid-19 Illness among a Diverse Sample of Children by MIS-C Status
Most pediatric COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic; however, a small number of children are diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but severe condition that is associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Persistent symptoms of COVID-19 illness in children diagnosed with/without MIS-C is largely unknown. A retrospective EHR review of patients with COVID-19 illness from one pediatric healthcare system to assess the prese…
Cluster-randomised trial of the impact of an obesity prevention intervention on childcare centre nutrition and physical activity environment over 2 years
Objective: The prevalence of obesity among pre-school-aged children in the USA remains unacceptably high. Here, we examine the impact of Healthy Caregivers-Healthy Children (HC2) Phase 2, a childcare centre (CCC)-based obesity prevention intervention on changes in the CCC nutrition and physical activity environment over 2 school years. Design: This was a cluster-randomised trial with twelve CCC receiving the HC2 intervention arm and twelve in the…
Relationship between risky behaviors and non-prescription opioid use among Asian American youth
Asian Americans (AA) are a highly understudied population and are often considered the "model minority" for health. However, there is a dearth of research on risky behaviors associated with opioid use in AA teens. Data among AA youth aged 12 to 16 was collected from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Multivariate logistic regression models were run to determine associations between opioid use and risky behaviors, controlling for ag…
Determinants of accurate visual perception of child anthropometric phenotype among ethnically diverse preschool parents in the United States
The literature reports that regardless of the high obesity prevalence estimates in young children, parents often do not accurately perceive their child's weight status. The purpose of this analysis was to examine the association between parent/child demographic characteristics including ethnicity, country of birth and years living in the United States and the perception of child's anthropometric phenotype status based on a visual silhouette instr…
No prominent works on this page.
Relationship between risky behaviors and non-prescription opioid use among Asian American youth
Asian Americans (AA) are a highly understudied population and are often considered the "model minority" for health. However, there is a dearth of research on risky behaviors associated with opioid use in AA teens. Data among AA youth aged 12 to 16 was collected from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. Multivariate logistic regression models were run to determine associations between opioid use and risky behaviors, controlling for ag…
Determinants of accurate visual perception of child anthropometric phenotype among ethnically diverse preschool parents in the United States
The literature reports that regardless of the high obesity prevalence estimates in young children, parents often do not accurately perceive their child's weight status. The purpose of this analysis was to examine the association between parent/child demographic characteristics including ethnicity, country of birth and years living in the United States and the perception of child's anthropometric phenotype status based on a visual silhouette instr…
Comparison of Long-Term Complications of Covid-19 Illness among a Diverse Sample of Children by MIS-C Status
Most pediatric COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic; however, a small number of children are diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a rare but severe condition that is associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Persistent symptoms of COVID-19 illness in children diagnosed with/without MIS-C is largely unknown. A retrospective EHR review of patients with COVID-19 illness from one pediatric healthcare system to assess the prese…
Cluster-randomised trial of the impact of an obesity prevention intervention on childcare centre nutrition and physical activity environment over 2 years
Objective: The prevalence of obesity among pre-school-aged children in the USA remains unacceptably high. Here, we examine the impact of Healthy Caregivers-Healthy Children (HC2) Phase 2, a childcare centre (CCC)-based obesity prevention intervention on changes in the CCC nutrition and physical activity environment over 2 school years. Design: This was a cluster-randomised trial with twelve CCC receiving the HC2 intervention arm and twelve in the…
Racial and ethnic disparities in chronic disease risk in adolescence after prenatal polydrug exposure
Racial disparities exist in fetal development which in turn can influence growth and development of chronic disease later in life. The purpose of this study was to explore potential racial and ethnic differences in chronic disease risk factors throughout the pediatric years given prenatal exposure to substance use. Data from the Maternal Lifestyle Study cohort was used for this analysis. Urine toxicology confirmed maternal substance use (y/n) and…
A Nationally Representative Analysis of Substance Use and Sexual Health Correlates Associated with HIV and STI Testing among Adolescents
Applying a community‐engaged participatory machine learning model
Although predictive algorithms have been described as the definitive solution to bias in health care, machine learning techniques may also propagate existing health inequities within the community context. However, there may be ways in which machine learning techniques can help community psychologists, public health researchers and practitioners identify patterns in data in a way that empowers improved outcomes. Incorporating community insight in…
Spatial Associations of Alcohol Outlet Density with Neighborhood Crime and Child Opportunity
BACKGROUND: Passaic county, New Jersey (NJ) has a high population density and diverse racial composition, with significant socioeconomic disparities that vary by city. Such disparities expose residents, and particularly children, to environmental conditions that may be harmful to their health and wellbeing such as high exposure to crime, violence, and high amounts of alcohol outlets. This study explores the association between alcohol outlet dens…
Profiles of Risk
Neighborhood Violence Impacts on HIV and STI Testing Among Sexual Minority Youth in the United States
In the United States (U.S.), sexual minority youth (SMY) are disproportionately impacted by HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and structurally marginalized from routine testing for HIV and STI. This study examines neighborhood violence predictors (saw violence, safety concerns, and being threatened) on HIV and STI testing among a sample of SMY in the U.S. Data came from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavioral Surveillance System (YRBSS)…
Adolescent Substance Use Among High School Students Before and After the Covid-19 Pandemic
Background The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted schooling for many during the middle-to-high school transition, a critical period for initiation of substance use. This study examines how reduced in-school peer exposure was associated with substance use patterns among ninth and tenth graders before and after the pandemic.Objectives To examine the relationship between differential in-school peer exposure to substance use patterns among ninth and tenth g…
Spatializing Substance Use and Sexual Behaviors of Queer Men and Non-binary Individuals During Covid-19
Cannabis Use and Mental Health Coping Behavior among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color Women during the Covid-19 Pandemic
Persistent racial ethnic inequities in mental health care and access to cannabis were magnified during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the need to better understand coping behaviors among Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) women cannabis consumers. This study aimed to evaluate cannabis use patterns and mental health coping behaviors among BIPOC women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-reported data from 1,239 womenwho consumed can…
Medicine (7 works) · Public health (6 works) · Psychology (5 works) · Demography (4 works) · Environmental health (4 works) · Ethnic group (4 works) · Internal Medicine (4 works) · Health psychology (3 works) · Logistic regression (3 works) · Population (3 works)