Christopher Houck, Ph.D., collaborates with Klein Buendel investigators and its Creative Team on multiple behavioral research projects. His research interests focus on affect management for early adolescents and the development and evaluation of risk prevention interventions for at-risk early adolescents. He conducts research on factors related to adolescent risk behaviors, especially sexual behaviors and dating violence risk, and the role of emotion regulation in health behavior interventions.
Dr. Houck is a Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and a Professor of Pediatrics at Brown University. He is the Director of the Clinical Child Psychology Specialty Program for postdoctoral training in the Brown Clinical Psychology Training Consortium’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Program. He also works as a staff psychologist in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Rhode Island Hospital. It is in this capacity at Rhode Island Hospital that Dr. Houck is currently leading two research projects in conjunction with Klein Buendel that are funded by the National Institutes of Health:
An Interactive Education Program to Reduce High Risk Behavior in Adolescents (HD110333)
Klein Buendel Investigator, Ms. Julia Berteletti, is collaborating with Dr. Houck to develop and evaluate the impact of an emotion regulation program for adolescents. iTRAC is a web-based program for “Talking about Risk and Adolescent Choices” to prevent risky sexual behavior and negative sexual health outcomes through emotion regulation strategies.
Emotion Regulation Intervention to Prevent Substance Use Among Youth in the Child Welfare System (DA059785)
Klein Buendel Investigators, Ms. Julia Berteletti and Dr. W. Gill Woodall, are collaborating with Dr. Houck and Dr. Stephanie Parade from Brown University on this 5-year project to integrate substance use content with iTRAC emotion regulation material to reduce substance use among child welfare involved youth. The web-based intervention is being developed and evaluated in partnership with the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
Dr. Houck earned his B.A. degree from the University of Michigan in 1996. He completed his Ph.D. in Clinical and Health Psychology from the University of Florida in 2002. He completed his internship at the Children’s Hospital of Orange County in Orange, California and a postdoctoral fellowship at Brown University.
The imaginative illustrations and digital production work of the Klein Buendel Creative Team were featured in a life-size immersive luminary display in the Keith and Catherine Stein Luminary at Boise State University in April.
The STAC intervention, developed by Dr. Aida Midgett from Boise State University, was the subject matter on full display. STAC provides middle school students who witness bullying with strategies to act as “defenders” to help reduce both active bullying and the negative associated outcomes for both targets and bystanders. The content is delivered in person or via web-based lessons and activities which includes avatar-based scenarios, practices, and quizzes.
STAC Bullying Bystander Strategies
(1) “Stealing the Show” – using humor or distraction to interrupt a bullying situation and remove the attention away from the target;
(2) “Turning it Over” – identifying a trusted adult at school, reporting, and asking for help during a bullying incident;
(3) “Accompanying Others” – befriending and/or providing support to a peer who was a target of bullying; and
(4) “Coaching Compassion” – gently confronting the perpetrator and increasing empathy for the target.
The research to design and evaluate the interactive web-based version of STAC is funded by an STTR Phase II grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD014943; Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal Investigator, Boise State University). Co-investigators include Dr. Diana Doumas from Boise State University and Mary Buller from Klein Buendel. The web-based STAC modules were designed and programmed by Klein Buendel’s Creative Team: Steve Fullmer, Creative Director; Peter Fu, Illustrator and Developer; Charlie Barger, Developer; and Brandon Herbeck, Project Coordinator.
The Stein Luminary is an all-digital museum space at Boise State University that produces a variety of immersive, interactive, and sensory experiences. Touch-activated screens and immersive projection deliver cutting-edge visual content for the Boise State University community. According to their website, “The Stein Luminary invites the Boise State community to explore creative arts, cultural sites, and scientific phenomena from around the globe. We foster interdisciplinary collaboration and research-based innovation by featuring exhibitions, performances, and installations of emerging media. Our participatory content generates vital and meaningful conversations about arts, humanities, technology, and science.”
As illustrated in the luminary, the STAC program has been implemented in middle schools across the United States and multiple other countries worldwide.
Cost Analysis of an Occupational Sun Safety Intervention
Klein Buendel investigators and their collaborators have e-published the results of the cost analysis of distributing the Go Sun Smart at Work program via two different methods in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (JOEM).
This randomized trial compared two methods (digital and in-person) for scaling up an evidence-based occupational sun protection program nationwide. The program was designed to help workplaces implement skin cancer prevention policy and training for employees who work outdoors. One hundred thirty-eight (138) regional districts in 21 state Departments of Transportation throughout the United States were randomized to receive the Go Sun Smart at Work program via in-person or digital scalability methods in 2019-2022. Results of the effectiveness of the trial were published in JOEM in January 2025.
For the economic analysis reported in this companion publication, the cost of delivering the Go Sun Smart at Work program was obtained from project accounting records and manager reports. The study followed the Consolidated Health Economic Evaluation Reporting Standards (CHEERS) reporting guideline for economic evaluation (1). The primary outcome of the economic analysis was an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) from the perspective of the disseminating organization, although induced costs to the employer were also recorded and reported. The ICER numerator is the incremental difference between digital and in-person strategies in average program cost (C) per regional district. The denominator is the incremental difference between digital and in-person strategies in the mean number of implemented workplace sun protection actions (per regional district) (E [for effect]):
Program delivery costs were estimated to be $15,658 for the digital strategy and $74,275 for the in-person strategy. Across all districts, the ICER was $3,305, representing average cost savings from a sun safety action not implemented under the digital strategy but implemented under the in-person strategy. In summary, the digital scalability strategy was cost-effective relative to an in-person strategy, generating substantial cost savings and offsetting a lower mean number of implemented program actions. Full descriptions of the research methods, results, and limitations are included in the JOEM publication.
The research was supported by a Cancer Moonshot Initiative grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA210259; Dr. David Buller, Principal Investigator). Co-authors include Dr. Richard Meenan from Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research; Dr. Gary Cutter from the University of Alabama in Birmingham; Dr. Kimberly Henry from Colorado State University; Dr. Sherry Pagoto from the University of Connecticut; and Mary Buller, Julia Berteletti, Irene Adjei, and Noah Chirico from Klein Buendel. The authors thank the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the senior managers of the participating state Departments of Transportation for supporting this research project.
References
Husereau D, Drummond M, Augustovski F, et al. Consolidated health economic evaluation reporting standards 2022 (CHEERS 2022) statement: updated reporting guidance for health economic evaluations. Value Health. 202;25:3-9.
Ms. Amanda Brice from Klein Buendel presented a Live Research Spotlight at the 46th Annual Sessions and Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in San Francisco, California, March 26-29, 2025.
*Klein Buendel authors are bolded.
Ms. Amanda Brice
Research Spotlight
Title: Rural Emerging Adults’ Physical Activity Motivation, Intentions, Planning, and Engagement Patterns: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
Presenter: Amanda Brice
Authors: Kayla Nuss, Julia Berteletti, Amanda Brice, Alishia Kinsey, Noah Chirico, and Sierra Held
Emerging adulthood, the period between 18 and 26 years old, is critical for the development of long-term health behaviors, like physical activity engagement. Only 25% of emerging adults meet the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). In rural communities, where residents have less access to behavioral health resources, healthcare, and community services, fewer than 20% of adults meet physical activity recommendations, but data on rural emerging adults is limited. Further, data are lacking in this population on potent drivers of physical activity, such as motivation, intention, and planning. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to describe physical activity engagement, motivation, intention, and planning in a sample of emerging adults from the rural western United States.
Participants were recruited via a nationwide survey panel. Inclusion criteria were: 18 to 26 years old, able to read and understand English, and live in a rural country as defined by the Rural Urban Commuting Area Codes 4-9 in one of the Western states of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, or Arizona. We assessed physical activity with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), Self-Determination Theory motivation with the Behavioral Regulations in Exercise Questionnaire v.3 (BREQ-3), intention and planning with the Behavioral Intentions Scale, and collected demographic variables.
Means, standard deviations, and percentages were calculated for descriptive and outcome variables. Participants reported minutes of MVPA accumulated through work and recreation, and we calculated total MVPA minutes. Using the Shapiro-Wilk test for normality, we found neither total nor recreational weekly minutes of MVPA were normally distributed. The non-normality was due to a high number of participants reporting zero MVPA minutes. We created binary variables of “Meets Recommendations” (≥ 150 minutes of MVPA per week) vs. “Does Not Meet Recommendations” (≤ 149 minutes of MVPA per week) for both total and recreational MVPA.
The sample included 141 respondents: 115 (81.56%) female and 25 (17.73%) male, aged 22.00±2.63 years. Seventy-five (53.19%) met MVPA recommendations when work was included whereas without, only 32 (22.70%) met recommendations. Participants reported low levels of amotivation, external, introjected, identified, and integrated regulation, and intrinsic motivation. They also reported low levels of intention and planning for physical activity.
More emerging adults met MVPA recommendations when minutes accumulated at work were included. Rural emerging adults have low quality of motivation and low intention and planning for physical activity. Researchers should investigate barriers to physical activity participation in this group as they have high instances of health disparities and low access to health resources.
This research was sponsored by Klein Buendel and led by Dr. Kayla Nuss.
Dr. David Buller from Klein Buendel presented three posters at the 46th Annual Sessions and Meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine in San Francisco, California, March 26-29, 2025. Dr. Kayla Nuss and Ms. Julia Berteletti from Klein Buendel were co-authors on a fourth poster.
*Klein Buendel authors are bolded.
Dr. David Buller
Poster 1
Title: Economic Evaluation of Two Scalability Strategies for Nationwide Dissemination of an Occupational Sun Safety Intervention
Presenter:David Buller
Authors: Richard Meenan, David Buller, Julia Berteletti, Kimberly Henry, Mary Buller, Gary Cutter, Irene Adjei, and Noah Chirico
Americans spend many hours in work environments that contribute to health risks through hazardous job exposures. An economic evaluation of two methods for scaling up the Go Sun Smart at Work (GSS@W) evidence-based occupational sun protection program to prevent skin cancer in a nationwide transportation industry was conducted. GSS@W promoted employer adoption of sun protection policies and employee use of personal sun protection.
Cost-effectiveness analysis compared digital and in-person scalability strategies for disseminating the GSS@W program in a prospective two-group randomized trial. Regional districts (n=138) in 21 state Departments of Transportation (DOT) throughout the United States were recruited. District managers were assessed before and after scale-up and employees were posttest only. GSS@W was disseminated to managers at DOT districts either via an in-person scalability strategy with face-to-face on-site meetings and employee training or a digital scalability strategy with virtual meetings and online training. Cost of delivering GSS@W was obtained from project accounting records and manager reports on number and associated costs of implemented sun protection actions. Primary cost analysis was incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) between digital and in-person strategies, using program delivery cost as numerator and number of implemented sun protection actions as denominator. Secondary analysis summarized cost of implemented sun protection actions as reported by participating districts.
Mean implemented actions per district were 6.23 in digital and 6.53 in in-person strategy groups. Program delivery costs were estimated to be $15,658 for the digital strategy and $74,275 for the in-person strategy. Across all districts, the ICER was $3,305, representing average cost savings from an action not implemented under the digital strategy but implemented under the in-person strategy. Training was the most expensive action implemented by districts under either strategy (88% of implemented action costs).
The digital scalability strategy was cost-effective relative to an in-person strategy, generating substantial cost savings and offsetting a lower mean number of implemented GSS@W program actions. The GSS@W intervention may be readily implemented within employers that manage large annual budgets. Cost analysis was limited by not assessing induced costs to employees and potential feedback effects that could produce contamination.
The research was supported by a Cancer Moonshot Initiative grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA210259; Dr. David Buller, Principal Investigator).
Poster 2
Title: Pilot Test of a Social Media Campaign on Preventing Cancer Risk Factors for Emerging Adults in Rural Communities in the American Mountain West
Presenter:David Buller
Authors: David Buller, Andrew Sussman, Echo Warner, Alishia Kinsey, Barbara Walkosz, Judith Gordon, W. Gill Woodall, Douglas Taren, Deanna Kepka, Kimberly L. Henry, Kayla Nuss, Cindy Blair, Evelinn Borrayo, David Wetter, Meghan Skiba, Julia Berteletti, Annelise Small, Dolores Guest, and John Torres
A social media campaign on preventing six cancer risk factors – being physical inactive, eating an unhealthy diet, using nicotine products, binging alcohol, being sunburned, and being unvaccinated for human papillomavirus (HPV) – was pilot-tested with emerging adults aged 18-26 living in rural counties.
Using an integrated theoretical framework, social media posts were developed to counter the cancer risk factors. Posts covered simplicity, benefits, response efficacy/cost, self-efficacy/perceived control, risk perceptions, norms, social support/relatedness, goals/values compatibility, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, media literacy, and communication with family/friends. Twenty-six (26) emerging adults aged 18-26 living in rural counties in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah received a 4-week social media feed with 64 posts delivered in a private Facebook group. Emerging adults completed pretest and posttest surveys, and engagement (views, reactions, comments) was recorded.
Participants were 85% female and 35% Hispanic, with a median age of 23. At pretest, emerging adults demonstrated cancer risk factors: 53% engaged in <150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity weekly, 85% had low daily intake of fruits and vegetables, 35% used nicotine products, 58% binged alcohol, 65% were sunburned, and 38% were unvaccinated for HPV. The campaign feed received 1,060 views, 346 reactions and 72 comments. Of the six cancer risk factors, posts on physical activity received the most views (216 views) while those on HPV and sun safety, the least (115 views each). Posts on physical activity, nicotine products, and alcohol received the most reactions (>50 reactions each) and physical activity and diet posts received the most comments (>9 comments each).
Social media is a popular source for health information among emerging adults. A multi-risk factor social media campaign has potential to engage emerging adults with theory-based cancer prevention messaging. The campaign will be evaluated in a randomized trial in 2025.
The research is supported by a grant from the National Cancer Institute (CA268037; Dr. David Buller and Dr. Andrew Sussman, Multiple Principal Investigators). Dr. Sussman is from the University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center. Other collaborating investigators are from the University of Utah, the University of Arizona, the University of Colorado, and Colorado State University.
Poster 3
Title: Association of Indoor Tanning State Laws and Other Contextual Factors with Burns from Indoor Tanning in a National Sample of US Young Adults
Presenter:David Buller
Authors: Carolyn Heckman, David Buller, Anna Mitarotondo, Daniel Gundersen, Marisa Tomaino, and Julia Berteletti
Indoor tanning by minors is a significant risk factor for the development of melanoma. In addition to FDA safety regulations, 46 states restrict minor indoor tanning access by minors to prevent acute (burns from UV exposure) and chronic (skin cancer) harms. This study’s purpose was to identify state policy and other contextual factors associated with burns from indoor tanning to inform state policy efforts.
The authors conducted an online, nationally representative survey of individuals aged 18-29 who indoor tanned in the last three years (N=1000). Respondents reported on indoor tanning as adults (age 18 or older) and as minors (under age 18). Stringency of state laws on indoor tanning use by minors was scored, with no laws regulating minor indoor tanning being a “0” and laws banning all minors under 18 from indoor tanning being a “10.” Generalized linear models were used to estimate the associations of policy stringency for minor use and enforcement, indoor tanning behavior, and other contextual factors with burns after indoor tanning as a minor or adult. All analyses used the sampling weights.
Eighty-eight percent (88%) of participants reported engaging in indoor tanning in multiple facility types in the last three years, including indoor tanning salons, gyms, beauty salons, homes, spas, and apartments. Stringency of indoor tanning laws in participants’ home states were coded as an average of 4 (weak) out of 10. Fifty-seven percent (57%) of participants reported burning one or more times from indoor tanning in the past three years, with 14% from their most recent indoor tanning session. Correlates of burns from indoor tanning when a minor were weaker age restrictions, greater enforcement, more binge drinking, tanning at locales other than an indoor tanning salon, more sessions, shorter sessions, and more sunburns. Correlates of burns from indoor tanning when an adult were being between 22-25 years old, lower perceived indoor tanning facility safety in their state, greater enforcement, more sessions, and more sunburns.
This is the first study to investigate the impact of the stringency and enforcement of age restrictions in state indoor tanning law on burns both for indoor tanning before and after age 18, in a representative national sample. Burns were very common in the context of weak laws in many states, yet harmful burns after indoor tanning during childhood appeared to be lower in states with stronger age restrictions. Enforcing weak laws or inadequate safety regulations/compliance appears to have little impact on indoor tanning or burns in minors or adults. Thus, increasing stringency of state indoor tanning laws for all facility types may ultimately decrease acute harm and subsequent skin cancer rates.
This research was supported by a grant to Rutgers University from the National Cancer Institute (CA244370; Dr. Carolyn Heckman and Dr. David Buller, Multiple Principal Investigators).
Poster 4
Title: Social Comparison as a Behavior Change Technique in Digital Interventions: Users’ Perceptions of Leaderboards to Promote Physical Activity Motivation and Behavior
Presenters: Raj Harsora and Danielle Arigo from Rowan University
Authors: Raj Harsora, Emmanuel Lapitan, Giada Benasi, Amanda Folk, Laura König, Kayla Nuss, Julia Berteletti, Kyle R. Haggerty, and Danielle Arigo
Physical activity leaderboards are a common feature in digital health tools; they display users ranked physical activity behavior from highest to lowest, leveraging social comparison to boost motivation. However, some users find them motivating while others find them aversive. It is not clear how users interpret information from a leaderboard, or for whom or under what circumstances leaderboards might be effective.
To examine these nuances, we surveyed 1,676 adults in the United States and Europe (52% women). Of those who use physical activity apps, 8% indicated that their app has a leaderboard; 70% of these users did not participate in the leaderboard and expressed dislike of this feature for its emphasis on competition, unnecessary pressure, and potential “failure.” The remaining 30% reported using the leaderboard for 2 to 24 months because it kept them motivated by showing their success, particularly as they compared to others at the “same skill level.” After viewing a leaderboard with their own rank depicted, 63% of all respondents (1,504 adults) perceived themselves as doing well with physical activity. In a separate response, however, 51% perceived themselves as doing poorly. These perceptions differed by rank but also showed meaningful heterogeneity for the same rank. Across ranks, 74% of respondents endorsed motivation to engage in physical activity though 26% did not. Physical activity motivation did not differ by rank and was not associated with perceiving oneself as doing poorly but was positively associated with perceiving oneself as doing well; the latter was strongest for those ranked 3rd of 6.
Finally, physical activity motivation in response to the leaderboard did not differ by gender but was higher among those with stronger (vs. weaker) general tendencies to respond positively and negatively to comparison opportunities; the latter did not differ by rank. Findings show that responses to physical activity leaderboards vary widely and aren’t based solely on rank or individual difference characteristics. Further, some people who believe they dislike leaderboards still find them motivating, and it is unclear how leaderboards affect physical activity behavior in daily life. Additional investigation is warranted to identify for whom and under what circumstances leaderboards are most likely to lead to benefits for physical activity.
This research was funded by an NIH Director’s New Innovator Award to Rowan University (DP2HL173857; Danielle Arigo, Principal Investigator).
Content Analysis of Posts Featuring Popular Instagram Fitness and Exercise Trends
Four main health and wellness trends have emerged on social media over the past several years: thinspiration, fitspiration, body positivity, and body neutrality. Thinspiration is intended to inspire consumers to obtain a very thin body and is often considered to be promoting disordered eating behavior. Fitspiration intends to inspire consumers to participate in exercise and aspire to a “fit” body. Body positivity promotes acceptance and appreciation of all body types and body neutrality prioritizes the function of the body, rather than its appearance. The content of body neutrality posts has gone largely unexamined, and no study has comparatively examined the content of fitspiration, body positivity, and body neutrality – until now.
Dr. Kayla Nuss, Klein Buendel Scientist, and her co-authors have published new data on the content of Instagram posts pertaining to exercise in the journal, Psychology of Popular Media. The paper is entitled, “What’s in a Hashtag? A Comparative Content Analysis of Fitspiration, Body Positivity, and Body Neutrality Posts on Instagram.”
The research team conducted a comparative analysis of 200 Instagram posts from three categories: fitspiration, body positivity, and body neutrality. There were 605 total posts. All content types featured mostly White women, although fitspiration featured slightly more racial diversity. Most people featured in fitspiration and body positivity posts were thin whereas the majority of those in body neutrality posts were of average body size. Commercialization was the most prominent message in all three content types and weight loss was featured often in both fitspiration and body positivity posts.
Based on these results, the authors conclude that body positivity has seemingly drifted away from its original intention and body neutrality now seems aligned with the origins of body positivity. Full descriptions of the study design, methods, results, and limitations are provided in the Psychology of Popular Media publication. In the paper, the authors offer recommendations for researchers to develop social media health behavior interventions using elements of these popular content types.
This research was sponsored by Klein Buendel and led by Dr. Kayla Nuss. Her collaborators included Julia Berteletti, Dr. Barbara Walkosz, Irene Adjei, Annelise Small, Liliana Salcido Beltran, and Noah Chirico from Klein Buendel; Anne Poirier from Shaping Perspectives in South Carolina; and Dr. Danielle Arigo from Rowan University in New Jersey.
A research team from Boise State University and Klein Buendel have published a paper in JMIR Human Factors entitled, “Usability Testing of a Bystander Bullying Intervention App (STAC-T) for Rural Middle Schools: A Mixed-Methods Study.” The paper reports on the conduct and outcomes of the usability testing of a bystander bullying intervention app for rural middle school students.
Students who are targets of bullying are at high risk for negative mental health outcomes including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. Implementing school-based bullying prevention programs reduces bullying. Bullying prevention programs are particularly important in rural schools, as bullying is more prevalent in rural schools compared to urban schools. Comprehensive, school-wide bullying prevention programs, however, require resources that create significant barriers to implementation for rural schools. Because technology-based programs can reduce some of these implementation barriers, the development of a technology-based program to address bullying increases access to bullying prevention for students in rural settings.
This study assessed the usability and acceptability of the STAC-T app and differences in usability between school personnel and students. Qualitative feedback related to usability, program features, and feasibility was also obtained and analyzed. A sample of 21 participants (10 school personnel and 11 students) recruited from two middle schools in rural, low-income communities in two states completed usability testing followed by a qualitative interview. We used descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests to assess usability and program satisfaction. We used consensual qualitative research (CQR) as a framework to extract themes related to usefulness, relevance, needs, barriers, and feedback for intervention development.
Usability testing indicated the app was easy to use, acceptable, and feasible. Both school personnel and students rated the app well above the standard cutoff score for above-average usability (68.0) and both school personnel and students gave the app high user-friendliness ratings (0-7 scale, with 7 high user-friendliness). Overall ratings also suggested school personnel and students were satisfied with the program. Among school personnel, 100% said they would recommend the program to others and 10%, 50%, and 40% rated the program as 3, 4, and 5 stars, respectively. Among students, 90.9% said they would recommend the program to others and 27.3% and 72.7% rated the program as 4 stars and 5 stars, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in ratings between school personnel and students.
Qualitative data revealed that both school personnel and students found the STAC-T app useful, relevant, and appropriate, while providing feedback related to the importance of narration of the text and the need for teacher and parent trainings to accompany the student program. Data also showed school personnel and students would find a tracker useful, in which students could report the different types of bullying they witnessed and strategies they used to intervene. Data from school personnel also indicated the program was perceived as practical and very likely to be adopted by schools, with time, cost, and accessibility being noted as potential barriers for schools in rural communities. The results demonstrate high usability and acceptability of the STAC-T app and provide support for implementing a full-scale randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of STAC-T.
This research is funded by an STTR Phase II grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD014943; Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal Investigator, Boise State University). Co-authors include Dr. Diana Doumas, Dr. Claudia Peralta, and Dr. Blaine Reilly from Boise State University; Dr. Matthew Peck from the University of Arkansas; and Ms. Mary Buller from Klein Buendel. The STAC-T modules were graphically designed and programmed by Klein Buendel’s Creative Team.
Designing Characters for a Middle School Anti-Bullying Program
The use of avatars in video games and apps is creative and popular. “As both a visual representation of the gamer as well as a means of facilitating manipulation of a virtual world, an avatar can be seen as a means through which an individual is able to project their physical world self into a game world” (1). Avatars can help draw the user into the scenario (or virtual world) by making it seem more personal, relatable, and engaging.
Klein Buendel investigators, collaborators, and designers are employing human-depicted avatars in the development of STAC-T. STAC-T is a brief, web-based bystander anti-bullying intervention for middle school students. The training teaches students four distinct behavioral strategies: “Stealing the Show,” “Turning it Over,” “Accompanying Others,” and “Coaching Compassion.”
The design of 72 characters for anti-bullying scenarios by Klein Buendel developer and illustrator, Peter Fu, was guided by a matrix to provide multiple choices for middle school students representing light, medium, and dark skin tones, races, and ethnicities. In addition, the characters depict varied hair styles in short, medium, and long lengths for student self-identification, and yet similar clothing to de-emphasize comparison, peer pressure, and stigmatization.
STAC-T was developed and assessed by a research team from Boise State University, the University of Arkansas, and Klein Buendel. The STAC-T project is funded by an STTR grant to Klein Buendel from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (MD014943; Dr. Aida Midgett, Principal Investigator from Boise State University). Mary Buller from Klein Buendel is a Co-Investigator on the project. STAC-T programming, graphic design, and illustration were done by Klein Buendel’s Creative Team.
References
Ducheneaut, N., Wen, M. H., Yee, N., & Wadley, G. (2009). Body and mind: A study of avatar personalization in three virtual worlds. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing systems (pp. 1151–1160). New York, NY: ACM Press. https://doi.org/10.1145/1518701.1518877
Design of a high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training app
Dr. Kayla Nuss, Klein Buendel Scientist, and a collaborative research team from Klein Buendel and the University of Colorado Boulder have published a paper on the feasibility and design of a novel smartphone app to deliver blood pressure-lowering high-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training in the journal mHealth.
High-resistance inspiratory muscle strength training (IMST) is a time-efficient form of respiratory exercise shown to lower blood pressure in midlife and older adults (aged ≥50 years) in randomized controlled trials delivered in clinical research settings. The purpose of this study was to design a feasible and acceptable smartphone application (app) for independently delivering IMST for lowering blood pressure.
Two rounds of iterative focus groups comprised of midlife and older women and men with above-normal systolic blood pressure (self-reported ≥120 mmHg) were performed to gain feedback on interest in an IMST smartphone app and design features. Focus group results were analyzed using a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) coding and data analysis protocol. Clickable wireframes were developed based on focus group findings. The wireframes were then beta tested for usability and additional feedback from target users was obtained.
Among midlife and older adults, there was considerable interest in app-delivered IMST as a lifestyle intervention for lowering blood pressure. Potential facilitators and barriers of use for a potential app also were uncovered. Furthermore, the app wireframes were found to be highly usable, indicating that the app is ready for full-scale programming. Detailed research methods, analyses, and results of this research are reported in the mHealth paper. In conclusion, the authors report that they have designed a feasible and acceptable smartphone app for independently delivering blood pressure-lowering IMST in midlife and older adults.
The research is supported by an STTR grant to Klein Buendel from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (HL167375; Dr. Douglas Seals, Principal Investigator, from the University of Colorado Boulder). The authors are Dr. Kayla Nuss, Amanda Brice, and Steven Fullmer from Klein Buendel; and Elizabeth Jones, CeAnn Udovich, Dr. Kaitlin Freeberg, Narissa McCarty, Dr. Douglas Seals, and Dr. Daniel Craighead from the Department of Integrative Physiology at University of Colorado Boulder.
Analysis of Indoor Tanning Legislation in the United States
Dr. David Buller, Klein Buendel Director of Research, and a national team of scientists, physicians, and attorneys, have published an article in the American Journal of Public Health that describes the progression, content, and stringency of state legislation regulating indoor tanning in the United States.
Skin cancer is a highly prevalent, potentially deadly, and expensive disease. Indoor tanning is a well-established cause of melanoma and keratinocyte (non-melanoma) carcinomas. In the most recent estimates, nearly 6% of adolescents and 5% of adults indoor tan. Most individuals begin indoor tanning as adolescents or young adults. Stringent state indoor tanning laws that include age bans for minors instead of just parental consent are associated with less indoor tanning.
For this study, trained research assistants used legal mapping methods to collect and code legislative bills on indoor tanning introduced in U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The research aimed to (1) describe the progression of state indoor tanning legislation (enacted or failed); (2) detail the content and stringency of bills with special attention to whether bills banned indoor tanning by minors (individuals aged younger than 18 years (under-18 ban); and (3) explore the potential impact of political party affiliation of state government leadership when bills were proposed.
Between 1992 and 2023, 184 bills were introduced in 49 of 50 states and the District of Columbia (56 laws were enacted, and 126 bills failed). An under-18 ban was enacted in 22 states and the District of Columbia. Analyses calculated composite scores on the stringency of age restrictions and of warnings, operator requirements, and enforcement. The research team evaluated associations of the political party of the legislative sponsor and legislature majority. Specific methods, coding protocols, statistical analyses, results, conclusions, limitations, and public health implications are detailed in the American Journal of Public Health paper.
In many states, it took several years and proposed bills before a law on indoor tanning was enacted. Enacted bills were more stringent than failed bills. Party affiliation of the bill sponsor and legislature majority combined to affect bill passage and age restrictions. Increasing support for stringent regulations on indoor tanning is evident and may motivate other states or the federal government to prohibit minors from using indoor tanning facilities in an effort to improve health and prevent death.
This research was supported by a grant to Rutgers University from the National Cancer Institute (CA244370; Dr. Carolyn Heckman and Dr. David Buller, Multiple Principal Investigators). Paper authors include Dr. Carolyn Heckman, Ms. Anna Mitarotondo, and Mr. Kevin Schroth from Rutgers University; Mr. Alan Geller from Harvard University; Dr. Jerod Stapleton from the University of Kentucky; Ms. Samantha Guild from the AIM at Melanoma Foundation in Texas; Dr. Jeffrey Gershenwald from the MD Andersen Cancer Center at the University of Texas; Dr. Robert Dellavalle from the University of Minnesota; Dr. Sherry Pagoto from the University of Connecticut; and Dr. David Buller, Ms. Julia Berteletti and Ms. Irene Adjei from Klein Buendel.
