Home-Based Parenting Interventions to Promote Child Health

Join the Obesity Prevention Center for a symposium to discuss research in the area of home-based parenting interventions for child health outcomes. Specific attention will be given to interventions that address parenting skills around healthy eating, physical activity and screen time, and how these interventions affect changes in the home environment and child behavior outcomes.

Speakers include:

David Olds, PhD: Improving the health of mothers & children with home visiting by nurses: exploring the potential for obesity prevention

Dr. Olds is a Professor of Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Public Health, and Nursing at the University of Colorado Denver, where he directs the Prevention Research Center for Family and Child Health (PRC)

Laurie Miller Brotman, PhD: Early childhood family intervention and obesity prevention among low-income, minority youth

Dr. Brotman is a Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychiatry, director of the Institute for Prevention Science, and director of the Harris Obesity Prevention Effort (HOPE) at the NYU Child Study Center.

Abigail Gewirtz, PhD, LP: Adaptation of an empirically supported parent training program for highly stressed families

Dr. Gewirtz is an Associate Professor in Family Social Science and in the Institute of Child Development at UMN with a primary research focus on parenting and families exposed to adversity and traumatic stress.

Additional Discussants include:

Nancy E. Sherwood, PhD

Dr. Sherwood works at the HealthPartners Research Foundation and is an Associate Professor in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Heath at UMN.

Simone A. French, PhD Dr. French is a Professor in the Division of Epidemiology & Community Health at the UMN, and serves as the Associate Director of the Obesity Prevention Center.

Achieving Universal Healthcare for Kids & Adults: The Minnesota Health Plan

This National Children's Study Speaker Series will feature Ann Settgast, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Settgast will discuss the number of uninsured and undersinsured U.S. children and describe the medical consequences of falling into one of these categories. She will explain the difference between single-payer healthcare reform and other models (e.g. an individual mandate) and will make a case for why single-payer will best address U.S. problems with access, quality, and cost.

This event will include a brief presentation about the National Children's Study and a Q & A session about the Ramsey County Location.

If you are unable to attend the event, you now have the option to listen and ask questions via a "live chat" option. This will allow you to follow along and ask questions of the speaker via your own computer.  The presentation is scheduled for 3:00 p.m. CT. The link to participate on-line is: https://umconnect.umn.edu/ncsss/.  No RSVP needed for online participation.

This event is co-sponsored by the Center for Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Public Health.

Women of Color and Native Women's Leadership Project 2012 Statewide Conference & Leadership Institute

The Women of Color and Native Women’s Leadership Institute provides opportunities to build upon gifts to grow positive influence through networking, mentoring and skill building. The Women of Color and Native Women’s Leadership Council envisions a day of hope and safety for families and communities in Minnesota.

Topics include: developing a personal and professional leadership plan; ally building; engaging men to raise awareness about gender roles; and, managing conflict for positive outcomes.

Firoza Chic Dabby, Executive Director of the Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence will be the keynote speaker for the leadership institute conference. The Asian & Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence, a national resource center engaged in advocacy, research, policy, training, technical assistance provision, and analyzing critical issues on violence against Asian, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women.

For more information, please contact Lani Suarez at msuarez@mcbw.org  

National WIC Conference

The National WIC Association (NWA) Annual Education and Networking Conference & Exhibits offers an opportunity to learn new skills and to network with more than 1,200 colleagues and peers, public health professionals, technical experts and nationally recognized speakers from a variety of fields who will engage you during our plenary and concurrent sessions. 30 concurrent and three general sessions will help expand your professional skills and information knowledge base to equip you to face WIC challenges and take advantage of WIC opportunities. The conference will offer tracks on Management, Staff/Customer Service, Breastfeeding and Nutrition/Behavior. The conference will also provide you the opportunity to meet with a wide range of WIC vendors who offer WIC specific products and services.

Healthy Homes Workshops

These workshops—sponsored by the National Children’s Study and Ramsey County Public Health—will help participants identify toxic chemicals, and provide information on the use of non-toxic products in creating healthy homes. Four workshop dates are available: May 21 and May 30 in Maplewood, MN and June 4 and June 18 in Roseville, MN. Visit their web link for more information.

To register, email sawye014@umn.edu.