DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Cancer Survivorship
Reduction of Cancer Risk and Disparities

DF/HCC Associations

Member, Web Advisory

Research Abstract

My research is focused on the health of children and adolescents, particularly households living in poverty and minority populations. The major goal of this research has been to identify modifiable risks for morbidity and mortality in the young, and to both initiate and evaluate interventions to improve these outcomes. I have focused on a broad variety of risks, ranging from sociological concepts such as income poverty, social stress and social networks, to behaviors such as smoking, inactivity (exemplified by television viewing) and diet. Interventions have included work at both the level of national and state policy, programs at the regional, county, school, hospital, clinic and individual level. Research includes collaborative work with research groups at Harvard, in the Boston area, nationally, and internationally. I direct a CDC funded Prevention Research Center focused on improving diet and physical activity among youth and preventing obesity and chronic disease.

- Childhood chronic illness: causes, sequelae, quality of life;
- Childhood obesity: including school and community-based programs to improve diet and physical activity and reduce inactivity (e.g. television viewing);
- Effects of second-hand cigarette smoke on children;
- Socioeconomic and racial disparities in infant mortality;

Publications

• Ludwig DS, Gortmaker SL.Programming obesity in childhood.Lancet 2004 Jul 17;364(9430):226-7.
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• Cradock AL, Wiecha JL, Peterson KE, Sobol AM, Colditz GA, Gortmaker SL.Youth recall and TriTrac accelerometer estimates of physical activity levels.Med Sci Sports Exerc 2004 Mar;36(3):525-32.
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• Bowman SA, Gortmaker SL, Ebbeling CB, Pereira MA, Ludwig DS.Effects of fast-food consumption on energy intake and diet quality among children in a national household survey.Pediatrics 2004 Jan;113(1 Pt 1):112-8.
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• Boynton-Jarrett R, Thomas TN, Peterson KE, Wiecha J, Sobol AM, Gortmaker SL.Impact of television viewing patterns on fruit and vegetable consumption among adolescents.Pediatrics 2003 Dec;112(6 Pt 1):1321-6.
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• Dietz WH, Bland MG, Gortmaker SL, Molloy M, Schmid TL.Policy tools for the childhood obesity epidemic.J Law Med Ethics 2002 Fall;30(3 Suppl):83-7.
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• Gidwani PP, Sobol A, DeJong W, Perrin JM, Gortmaker SL.Television viewing and initiation of smoking among youth.Pediatrics 2002 Sep;110(3):505-8.
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• Wiecha JL, Sobol AM, Peterson KE, Gortmaker SL.Household television access: associations with screen time, reading, and homework among youth.Ambul Pediatr 2001 Sep-Oct;1(5):244-51.
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• Gortmaker SL, Hughes M, Cervia J, Brady M, Johnson GM, Seage GR, Song LY, Dankner WM, Oleske JM,.Effect of combination therapy including protease inhibitors on mortality among children and adolescents infected with HIV-1.N Engl J Med 2001 Nov 22;345(21):1
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• Dietz WH, Gortmaker SL.Preventing obesity in children and adolescents.Annu Rev Public Health 2001;22:337-53.
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• Austin SB, Gortmaker SL.Dieting and smoking initiation in early adolescent girls and boys: a prospective study.Am J Public Health 2001 Mar;91(3):446-50.
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• Ludwig DS, Peterson KE, Gortmaker SL.Relation between consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and childhood obesity: a prospective, observational analysis.Lancet 2001 Feb 17;357(9255):505-8.
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• Hernández B, Gortmaker SL, Colditz GA, Peterson KE, Laird NM, Parra-Cabrera S.Association of obesity with physical activity, television programs and other forms of video viewing among children in Mexico city.Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1999 Aug;23(8):84
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• Gortmaker SL, Cheung LW, Peterson KE, Chomitz G, Cradle JH, Dart H, Fox MK, Bullock RB, Sobol AM, Colditz G, Field AE, Laird N.Impact of a school-based interdisciplinary intervention on diet and physical activity among urban primary school children: eat w
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• Gortmaker SL, Peterson K, Wiecha J, Sobol AM, Dixit S, Fox MK, Laird N.Reducing obesity via a school-based interdisciplinary intervention among youth: Planet Health.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 1999 Apr;153(4):409-18.
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