Positions
- Professor
-
Pediatrics-Nutrition
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX US
- Research Nutritionist
-
USDA-ARS
Children’s Nutrition Research Center
Houston, Texas United States
- Research Member
-
Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States
- Faculty Member
-
Biomedical Research Base
Baylor Diabetes Research Center
Houston, Texas United States
- Faculty Affiliate
-
Kinder Institute for Urban Research
Urban Health Program
Rice University
Houston, Texas United States
Education
- PhD from University of New Orleans
- 12/1999 - New Orleans, Louisiana United States
- Curriculum & Instruction, Human Performance & Health Promotion
- MS from University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- 12/1984 - Greensboro, North Carolina United States
- Nutrition
- BS from University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- 12/1982 - Greensboro, North Carolina United States
- Nutrition
Certifications
- Marketing Communications Certification
- University of Houston
- Focus Group Moderator Training, Richard Kreuger
- University of South Florida
Honors & Awards
- Plains Area Scientific Leadership Team
- USDA/ARS (08/2020)
- Plains Area Senior Research Scientist of the Year
- USDA/ARS (02/2020)
- Research Mentorship Award, Professor Level
- Baylor College of Medicine (07/2018)
- Associate Editor – Qualitative Methods
- Games for Health Journal
- Co-Guest Editor
- Special issue on Innovations in Children’s Diet-Related Behaviors.
- The International Journal for Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) (01/2020 - 12/2021)
- Visiting Scholar
- University of Newcastle, Australia (01/2013)
- Founding Member, Board of Associate Editors
- Health Behavior & Policy Review (01/2013)
- NIH Study Section Member
- NIH - Psychosocial Risk and Disease Prevention (PRDP) (01/2012 - 12/2016)
- Fellow
- Dannon Academic Mid-Career Nutrition Leadership Institute (01/2012 - 12/2012)
- Co-Editor
- Journal of Diabetes Science & Technology Symposium Issue on Video Games (01/2012 - 12/2012)
- Finalist, Future Leader Award
- International Life Sciences Institute North America (ILSI NA) (01/2010)
Professional Interests
- Behavioral Nutrition
- Physical Activity
- Obesity Prevention
- Diabetes Prevention/Management
- Behavioral Theory
- Children
- Adolescents
- Technology
Professional Statement
My research focuses on the prevention of youth obesity and related diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and certain cancers, through the promotion of healthy diet and physical activity. Specifically, my work can be placed into one of three categories – theory and measurement, to guide and accurately assess change; health message design to ensure developmentally and culturally appropriate intervention messages that resonate with the intended audience; and design, development, and evaluation of interventions promoting health diet and physical activity behaviors. Much of my intervention work focuses on understanding how to use digital media to reach youth in ways that encourage and maintain behavior change. To achieve these goals, I have developed an expertise in qualitative methods and have conducted ~100 trainings in qualitative techniques since 2001. Further, my intervention work has a firm theoretical grounding, and I have written and spoken nationally and internationally on the use of behavioral theory in technology-based interventions. I have a history of successfully conducting technology-based research and managing large, interdisciplinary research teams. I am also an experienced mentor and have successfully mentored numerous individuals (college to mid-career faculty) to help them acquire and/or refine research skills. In recognition of my contributions, in 2020 I received a Scientist of the Year award from USDA and in 2018, I was awarded the Research Mentorship Award, Professor Level from Baylor College of Medicine.Websites
Selected Publications
- Thompson D, Callender C, Velazquez D, Adera M, Dave JM, Olvera N, Chen TA, Goldsworthy N "Perspectives of Black/African American and Hispanic parents and children living in under-resourced communities regarding factors that influence food choices and decisions: A qualitative investigation." Children (Basel). 2021;8(3):236. Pubmed PMID: 33353032
- Hilliard ME, Marrero DG, Minard CG, Cao VT, de Wit M, DuBose SN, Verdejo A, Jaser SS, Monzavi R, Shah VN, Wadwa RP, Weinstock RS, Thompson D, Anderson BJ "Design and psychometrics for new measures of health-related quality of life in adults with type 1 diabetes: Type 1 Diabetes and Life (T1DAL)." Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2020;[Online ahead of print]:doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2020.108537. Pubmed PMID: 33189791
- Moreno JP, Crowley SJ, Alfano CA, Thompson D "Physiological mechanisms underlying children’s circannual growth patterns and their contributions to the obesity epidemic in elementary school age children." Obes Rev. 2020;21(3):e12972. Pubmed PMID: 31737994
- Thompson DI, Cantu D, Callender C, Liu Y, Rajendran M, Rajendran M, Zhang Y, Deng Z "Photorealistic avatar and teen physical activity: Feasibility and preliminary efficacy." Games Health J. 2018;7(2):143-50. Pubmed PMID: 29406774
- Thompson D, Bhatt R, Vazquez I, Cullen KW, Baranowski J, Baranowski T, Liu Y "Creating action plans in a serious video game increases and maintains child fruit-vegetable intake: A randomized control trial." Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2015;12:39. Pubmed PMID: 25890060
Memberships
- American Dietetic Association/Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics
- International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
- Society of Behavioral Medicine
Funding
- A social media game to increase physical activity among older women - #1R01AG064092
- $1,803,628.00 (12/01/2019 - 05/31/2025) Grant funding from NIH-NIA
- This study will test the efficacy of a social-media based game involving weekly walking challenges among older adult women. Participants will be randomized to receive the social media game with a wearable activity monitor or to a monitor-only condition (active control). The game challenges require physical activity but are not explicitly related to physical activity, allowing participants to engage in low-stakes competition. Each week, participants in the game condition will engage in the weekly challenge, take photos on their smartphone, and upload the photos to a Facebook group. Winners will receive virtual social rewards, such as frames for their profile picture. We will investigate effects of the game on steps at 6 and 12 months as well as on motivation-related variables.
- Mixed methods study to understand factors that influence diet & PA choices of adolescents living in rural areas - #3092-51000-063-01S
- $584,244.00 (10/01/2019 - 09/30/2024) Grant funding from USDA/ARS
- The purpose of this research is to identify factors that influence the diet and PA choices of adolescents living in rural areas and explore ways in which technology could be used to help them make healthy choices and reduce their risk of becoming obese.
- Smart Eating Active Living (SEAL): A Comprehensive SNAP-Ed Initiative for Texans - #HHS001018600002
- $536,544.00 (10/01/2021 - 09/30/2026) Grant funding from State of Texas - Department of Health and Human Services
- The objective of the proposed project is to implement Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed) across 18 counties in Texas using the Smart Eating Active Living (SEAL) program. SEAL will empower children, adolescents, adults, seniors and communities through evidence-based nutrition programs to promote healthy eating and physical activity behaviors and food resource management strategies along with implementing policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) change initiatives (social media, social marketing, etc.). Through direct education programs, PSE change initiatives, and social marketing campaigns, SEAL aims to make a positive difference in the lives of limited resource individuals and families across TX, and Texans at large.
- Super Chef: Family Fun in the Kitchen - #R34 HL163376-01
- $656,909.00 (07/01/2022 - 06/30/2025) Grant funding from NIH/NHLBI
- The Research Question guiding the proposed research: Is Super Chef: Family Fun in the Kitchen, a theory-based online gamified cooking intervention promoting the Mediterranean Diet and food parenting practices to parent/child dyads, a feasible method for increasing home food preparation and improving dietary intake in 10-12 year old children living in low-income households? Our goal is to conduct formative research with representative parent/child dyads to obtain information needed to refine existing intervention content and structure and create the prototype and assess the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy with parent/child dyads.
- Leveraging passive objective assessment methods of preschooler’s media use to examine multiple paths of influence on sleep, executive function and weight status – Admin-Core-001 - #1 P01 HD109876-01
- $455,815.00 (09/01/2022 - 08/31/2027) Grant funding from NIH/NICHD
- The goal of this subproject is to provide administrative support to the overall program.
- Leveraging passive objective assessment methods of preschooler’s media use to examine multiple paths of influence on sleep, executive function and weight status - Project 001 - #1 P01 HD109876-01
- $1,431,657.00 (09/01/2022 - 08/31/2027) Grant funding from NIH/NICHD
- This subproject will assess whether children’s use of screen media influences their sleep and weight status and if sleep mediates this association.
- Identifying clinic barriers and facilitators affecting the implementation of a mobile app-based treatment for disorders of gut-brain interaction in children - #R03DK134789
- $240,750.00 (04/01/2024 - 03/31/2026) Grant funding from NIH-NIDDK
- This implementation science (ImS) proposal aims to develop a comprehensive implementation intervention to direct pediatric clinic personnel on (1) how to identify children at high risk for disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI), (2) diagnose affected children with a DGBI, and (3) prescribe and dispense our audio-recorded guided imagery therapy mobile app (ARGIT App) to affected children.
- Reducing obesity through play: A randomized control trial - #R01 HD114793
- $3,209,892.00 (09/01/2024 - 05/31/2029) Grant funding from NIH-NICHD
- This study will test whether a playgroup intervention improves diet and activity behaviors of toddlers to a greater extent than no treatment or standard health education for parents.
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