Tasia Smith
Evergreen Assistant Professor, Counseling Psychology and Human Services | University of Oregon
Eugene, OR, UNITED STATES
Counseling psychology expert, focusing on the promotion of positive mental and physical health among underserved populations
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Biography
Tasia Smith, a member of the Health Promotion and Obesity Prevention Initiative, focuses on the prevention and reduction of health disparities among under-served populations. Her research centers on obesity prevention among African American and Hispanic/Latino families and rural communities. She seeks to identify risk and protective factors that influence people’s engagement in health-promoting behaviors. She also is interested in the development of culturally sensitive, community-based interventions. Prior to joining the UO faculty in 2016, Smith worked closely with community stakeholders at churches, schools and medical settings as part of her doctoral research at the University of Florida.
Areas of Expertise (3)
Prevention Science
Health Intervention programs
Counseling Psychology
Links (1)
Media Appearances (2)
Don’t blame food stamps for obesity in America
The Conversation online
2017-09-04
Politicians and scholars sometimes cast obesity as a problem that largely afflicts the poor. But as most obese adults aren’t poor and most low-income adults aren’t obese, this is a misconception. As a researcher who looks into these demographics, I find the intersection of obesity and income among Americans to be much more complex than commonly held myths suggest.
Tasia Smith looks to build partnerships in new health cluster
Around the O online
2016-10-07
Summer was no vacation for Tasia Smith. Before joining the UO's Health Promotion and Obesity Prevention Initiative, she was busy fine-tuning several manuscripts for research she had completed at the University of Florida...
Articles (5)
Impact of a university-community partnership approach to improving health behaviors and outcomes among overweight/obese Hispanic adults
American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine
2016 Objective. To examine the impact of a community-informed and community-based Health-Smart Church (HSC) Program on engagement in health promoting behaviors (healthy eating and physical activity) and health outcomes (body mass index, weight, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure).
Motivators of and barriers to engagement in healthy eating behaviors among non-Hispanic Black adults
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
2016 The objective of this study was to determine if non-Hispanic Black adults’ levels of endorsement of motivators and barriers related to healthy eating are significantly associated with their level of engagement in healthy eating and their perceived importance of healthy eating and if these investigated variables differ by gender, income, and/or age.
Frequency of visits to a health care provider, health promoting behaviors, and perceived health status among African American women
Women & Health
2016 The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether the self-reported number of health care visits over a 1-year period was associated with engagement in health promoting behaviors (i.e., healthy eating and physical activity) and perceived health status among a cross-sectional sample of African American women who were pre-hypertensive/hypertensive and/or overweight or obese (N = 180). The study participants were recruited in predominantly African American churches and had their data collected in April and May of 2009. Age, income, and education were also examined as moderators in the aforementioned relationships. Results revealed that the self-reported number of health care visits was significantly positively associated with healthy eating and perceived health status. Income moderated the relationship between self-reported number of health care visits and engagement in healthy eating. These results provide support for health promotion programs for African American women with program components that explain the relationships among routine care from a health care provider, engagement in health promoting behaviors, and prevention of chronic health conditions.
Obesity and Related Chronic Health Conditions as Predictors of Motivation to Engage in Healthy Eating Behaviors Among Black Adults
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities
2014 Blacks in the USA have a high prevalence of obesity and therefore suffer disproportionately from obesity-related chronic health conditions. Eating a poor diet is a major contributor to obesity and obesity-related chronic health conditions (e.g., heart disease, hypertension, type 2 diabetes) in Blacks. Having medical concerns has been identified in earlier research to be a motivator to eat a healthy diet among Blacks.
The youth form of the Motivators of and Barriers to Health-Smart Behaviors Inventory.
Psychological Assessment
2012 To develop a youth form of the Motivators of and Barriers to Health-Smart Behaviors Inventory (MB-HSBI–Youth) for use in identifying self-reported motivators of and barriers to the following health-promoting behaviors (called health-smart behaviors): eating a healthy breakfast, eating healthy foods and snacks, drinking healthy drinks, and engaging in physical activity.
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