Associations of Parental Support and Parental Values with Youth Physical Activity, Diet, and Weight-

related Outcomes
Lauren Crouse, Exercise Science; Dawn K. Wilson, Ph.D., (Primary Mentor) Department of Psychology;
Allison Sweeney, Ph.D., (Secondary Mentor) Department of Psychology

Background: Adolescent obesity, especially among ethnic minorities, has been on the rise for
decades. Childhood obesity has been nationally recognized as a public health issue (Wright et al., 2008); yet,
relatively few interventions have been successful at decreasing obesity among high-risk groups, such as
African American youth. African Americans, specifically those of lower socioeconomic status, tend to have high
rates of obesity, consumption of caloric dense foods, and lower activity levels; the onset of comorbidities such
as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia have also been observed in this population as a
result of poor lifestyle practices leading to obesity (Tate et al., 2014).
There is converging evidence that parents play a critical role in both preventing and reducing obesity
among their children (Kitzman-Ulrich et al., 2010; Wilson et al., 2017). Because youth are impressionable,
parents have the ability to impact their children’s health behaviors by providing social support throughout the
significant time that is spent together with their families at this age (Brunet et al., 2014). Tangible support has
been demonstrated through dimensions such as instrumental-- transportation, payment, enrollment, access to
physical activity equipment, and available healthy food at home-- and conditional—direct involvement and
observation (Beets et al., 2010; Siceloff, Wilson, & Van Horn, 2014). Previous research by Wilson et al. (2011)
demonstrated greater levels of physical activity in African American adolescents when access to equipment for
physical activity was more readily available, suggesting that tangible support is critical for encouraging physical
activity among youth. Emotional parental support can be categorized into motivational—words of
encouragement and praise-- and informational—communication of importance and advice (Beets et al., 2010).
Tate et al. (2014) concluded that there was a direct positive association between parental engagement and the
physical activity of the child, suggesting that emotional support also plays an essential role in youth health
behaviors. In addition to providing support, another way in which parents may influence their children’s health
behaviors is through the transmission of their personal values. It has been shown that maternal values around
healthy eating have influenced children’s diets (Tate et al., 2014). However, parents’ support and values may
be critical to improving youth health behaviors (Wilson et al., 2011; Wilson et al., 2017).
Although previous studies have examined the relationship between parental social support and youth
health behaviors (Springer et al., 2006), little research has directly compared the unique effects of tangible
versus emotional support especially in underserved African American adolescents. Furthermore, although
previous research has found that parents’ values shape their children’s’ health behaviors, relatively little is
known about which specific values are most critical for promoting a healthy lifestyle especially among
underserved African American families. The goal of the proposed study is to 1) compare the unique impact of
tangible versus emotional parental social support on youth health behaviors, and 2) to identify which parenting
values are most critical for promoting physical activity, a healthy diet, and a lower body mass index (BMI)
among African American youth participating in the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss
randomized controlled trial.
Research Statement: This research project will assess how emotional and tangible parental support
and parental values are associated with African American adolescent’s physical activity, diet, and body mass
index (BMI) outcomes.
Project Goals and Objectives:
1. To organize and analyze the data from Project FIT in order to examine my research statement.
2. I will present my final project at Discovery Day at USC 2018.
3. I will compose a publication for USC’s undergraduate research journal, Caravel.
Project Significance: It is essential to understand the role that parents play in a child’s upbringing
regarding factors that contribute to obesity such as physical activity and diet so that parents may be aware of
effective practices to execute (Golan and Crow, 2004). This research would strengthen the available
knowledge on parent influences on the child’s behavior by focusing on the unique contributions of parental
social support and values. There is little research conducted on lower socioeconomic ethnic minority families
who are at the highest risk for obesity, so it is important to gather more information to not only understand their
barriers but also learn how to provide the more effective and lasting treatments. Given that prevalence rates of
adolescent obesity remain high, this research will help us to identify the critical components and potentially
optimal techniques for treating and preventing obesity issues through behavioral lifestyle interventions.
 Project Design: Project FIT is a randomized controlled trial testing the effectiveness of a motivational
and family based weight loss intervention in African American adolescents and parents (Wilson et al., 2015).
This study has already been approved by the Office of Research Compliance for human subject approval and
will comply with all of the rules, regulations and training requirements. The proposed project will use data from
235 parent and adolescent dyads. I have been working with Project FIT families one on one since the
beginning of October as an active member of the intervention team and I am receiving class credits for it
towards my Psychology minor for advanced independent study. Next semester, I will analyze the data that has
been collected throughout the project. A Magellan scholarship would help broaden my skillset for evaluating
Project FIT by learning more about data entry, analyses and by remaining involved with the measurement
team to become exposed to continued hands-on experience. The Principal Investigator, Dr. Dawn Wilson, and
the Post-Doctoral Fellow, Allison Sweeney, have agreed to mentor me on the all aspects of the proposed
research.
Methodology and Analyses: Measures of tangible social support and emotional social support for diet
and physical activity are collected through questionnaires completed by adolescents at the onset of the study.
The measure of parenting values are obtained through a questionnaire completed by parents in which they are
asked to identity which values they view as most important for transmitting to their child (e.g., “independence”,
“hard work”). We will use this questionnaire to develop an index for assessing which values are most strongly
associated with health behaviors. Three outcome variables will be assessed: baseline physical activity
(minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity; MVPA), baseline diet (kcals), and baseline BMI. Adolescent
MVPA is obtained with omni-directional accelerometers (Acticals). Adolescents wear an accelerometer for 7 days at
the beginning of the study. Adolescent diet (average calories per day) is measured through dietary recalls
administered randomly via phone by a registered dietician at the onset of the study. Additionally, at the
beginning of the study, adolescents’ height and weight are measured by certified staff using a digital scale and
stadiometer. BMI will be calculated as weight (kg)/height (meters2). For youth, BMI z-score will be calculated with the
NutStat (EpiInfo) program based on the Centers for Disease Control sex specific 2000 reference curves.
We propose testing three linear regression models. First, we will assess whether specific emotional
social support and tangible social support for physical activity (e.g. availability of physical activity equipment at
home), and parenting values predict baseline adolescent MVPA. Second, we will assess whether emotional
social support, tangible social support specific to diet (e.g. availability of healthy foods at home), and parenting
values predict baseline adolescent kcals. Third, we will assess whether emotional social support for diet and
physical activity, tangible social support (availability of physical activity equipment/healthy food at home), and
parenting values predict adolescent zBMI.
Project Timeline:
October 2017-April 2018: Continue involvement on Project FIT Intervention
January 2018-February 2018: Literature review, data organization, and analyze data
March 2018-April 2018: Prepare to present preliminary project at Discover USC; compose and publish
work in USC’s Caravel
Anticipated Results and Dissemination: The projected outcome of this research is that higher levels
of emotional and tangible parental support will be positively associated with lower dietary kcals higher levels of
MVPA, and lower zBMI in adolescents. Additionally, this project will help to clarify which core parenting values
are most strongly associated with adolescent health behaviors and weight-related outcomes.
Personal Statement: When I think of my childhood, I reminisce on the countless hours that were spent
playing outside and competing in travel sports, but most importantly, my parents guiding and supporting me
throughout the journey. As an Exercise Science major and Psychology minor, I am not only motivated to
understand how exercise and nutrition influence one’s weight, but also how the mind and presence of parental
support play a role as well. My end goal is to become a pediatric physician assistant. This grant would allow
me to support my future patients’ parents in healthy parenting skills that foster improved lifestyles for their
children. It will also enable me to connect with my patients on a more personal level by motivating and
enriching them since I would fully understand the barriers that they face. Since I have been working with the
intervention team for Project FIT, I have gained greater knowledge on the psychological perspective of the
substantial obesity issue that the United States is facing. I am an advocate for healthy living and professional
advancement which is exemplified by my leadership positions of Executive Secretary in Exercise Science Club
and formerly Alpha Epsilon Delta; I wish to extend my passion while also benefitting others with the knowledge
that will be gained with the help of this grant.
References:
Beets, M. W., Cardinal, B. J., & Alderman, B. L. (2010). Parental social support and the physical activity-related
behaviors of youth: a review. Health Education & Behavior, 37(5), 621-644.
Brunet, J., Sabiston, C. M., O'Loughlin, J., Mathieu, M. E., Tremblay, A., Barnett, T. A., & Lambert, M. (2014).
Perceived parental social support and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in children at risk of
obesity. Research quarterly for exercise and sport, 85(2), 198-207.
Golan, M., & Crow, S. (2004). Parents are key players in the prevention and treatment of weight-related
problems. Nutrition reviews, 62(1), 39-50.
Kitzman-Ulrich, H., Wilson, D. K., George, S. M. S., Lawman, H., Segal, M., & Fairchild, A. (2010). The
integration of a family systems approach for understanding youth obesity, physical activity, and dietary
programs. Clinical child and family psychology review, 13(3), 231-253.
Siceloff R, Wilson DK, Van Horn ML. (2014). A longitudinal study of the effects of instrumental and emotional
social support on physical activity in underserved adolescents in the ACT trial. Annals of Behavioral
Medicine, 48, 71-79.
Springer, A. E., Kelder, S. H., & Hoelscher, D. M. (2006). Social support, physical activity and sedentary
behavior among 6th-grade girls: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition
and Physical Activity, 3(1), 8.
Tate, N. H., Davis, J. E., & Yarandi, H. N. (2014). Sociocultural influences on weight-related behaviors in
african american adolescents. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 37(12), 1531-1547.
10.1177/0193945914537122
Wilson, D. K., Kitzman-Ulrich, H., Resnicow, K., Van Horn, M. L., George, S. M. S., Siceloff, E. R., & Coulon,
S. (2015). An overview of the Families Improving Together (FIT) for weight loss randomized controlled
trial in African American families. Contemporary clinical trials, 42, 145-157.
Wilson, D. K., Lawman, H. G., Segal, M., & Chappell, S. (2011). Neighborhood and parental supports for
physical activity in minority adolescents. American journal of preventive medicine, 41(4), 399-406.
Wilson, D. K., Sweeney, A. M., Kitzman-Ulrich, H., Gause, H., & George, S. M. S. (2017). Promoting Social
Nurturance and Positive Social Environments to Reduce Obesity in High-Risk Youth. Clinical child and
family psychology review, 20(1), 64-77.
Wright, M. S., Wilson, D. K., Griffin, S., & Evans, A. (2008). A qualitative study of parental modeling and social
support for physical activity in underserved adolescents. Health Education Research, 25(2), 224-232.

 Magellan Scholar BUDGET FORM

Student’s Name: Lauren Crouse
Student salary Hours Rate Subtotal
Estimated number of hours
Enter the hourly wage
student will work
Research hours during semesters
when enrolled in classes 221 $11.00 $2,431.00
Research hours during semesters
when NOT enrolled in classes $0.00

Fringe: Student salary * student fringe rate 1 (what is fringe? See budget instructions or guidebook)
Enrolled in classes $2,431.00 0.37% $8.99
Not enrolled in classes $0.00 8.03% $0.00

Materials/Supplies Enter sub-total from below: $560.00

Travel Enter sub-total from below:

TOTAL: $2,999.99

Amount requested for Scholar award: $3,000.00

Budget Justification/Description


Student Salary: Student is enrolled in classes for Spring 2017 semester only.

While taking classes: 13 hours per week for 17 weeks at $11.00 per hour

Materials/Supplies: Printing costs for flyers, programs, posters: $460; Discovery Day poster printing: $100

Note: $11.00 per hour is the student hourly rate of pay this program uses.







Transcript Data

STUDENT INFORMATION

Name : Lauren J. Crouse

Birth Date: 28-SEP

Student Type: Continuing

Curriculum Information

Current Program

Degree: Bachelor of Science

College: NJ Arnold Sch of Public

Health

Campus: USC Columbia

Major: Exercise Science

Minor: Psychology

***Transcript type:ADVS Advising is NOT Official ***

TRANSFER CREDIT ACCEPTED BY INSTITUTION -Top-

Spring Advanced Placement Exam

2015:

Subject Course Title Grade Credit Quality Points R

Hours

FREN 121 Elementary French CR 4.000 0.00

MATH 141 Calculus I CR 4.000 0.00

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Current Term: 0.000 0.000 8.000 0.000 0.00 0.000

Unofficial Transcript
Spring Advanced Placement Exam
2014:

Subject Course Title Grade Credit Quality Points R

Hours

PSYC 101 Introduction to Psychology CR 3.000 0.00

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Current Term: 0.000 0.000 3.000 0.000 0.00 0.000

Unofficial Transcript

INSTITUTION CREDIT -Top-

Term: Fall 2015

College: NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major: Exercise Science

Student Type: New Freshman

Academic Standing: Good Standing

Additional Standing: President's List/Dean's List

Subject Course Campus Level Title Grade Credit Quality Start R CEU Contact
Hours Points and Hours
End
Dates

BIOL 101 USC UG Biological Principles A 3.000 12.00

Columbia I

BIOL 101L USC UG Biological Principles A 1.000 4.00

Columbia I Lab

ENGL 101 USC UG Critical Reading & A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Comp

MUSC 140 USC UG Jazz & American A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Popular Music

SOCY 101 USC UG Introductory A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Sociology

UNIV 101 USC UG The Student in the A 3.000 12.00

Columbia University
Term Totals (Undergraduate)

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Current Term: 16.000 16.000 16.000 16.000 64.00 4.000

Cumulative: 16.000 16.000 16.000 16.000 64.00 4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Spring 2016

College: NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major: Exercise Science

Student Type: Continuing

Academic Standing: Good Standing

Additional Standing: President's List/Dean's List

Subject Course Campus Level Title Grade Credit Quality Start R CEU Contact
Hours Points and Hours
End
Dates

BIOL 102 USC UG Biological Principles A 3.000 12.00

Columbia II

BIOL 102L USC UG Biological Principles A 1.000 4.00

Columbia II Lab

CHEM 111 USC UG General Chemistry A 3.000 12.00

Columbia I

CHEM 111L USC UG General Chemistry A 1.000 4.00

Columbia I Lab

ENGL 102 USC UG Rhetoric and A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Composition

EXSC 191 USC UG Physical Activity A 3.000 12.00

Columbia and Health

PEDU 101 USC UG Self-Defense For A 1.000 4.00

Columbia Women
Term Totals (Undergraduate)

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Current Term: 15.000 15.000 15.000 15.000 60.00 4.000

Cumulative: 31.000 31.000 31.000 31.000 124.00 4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Summer 2016

College: NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major: Exercise Science

Student Type: Continuing

Academic Standing: Good Standing

Subject Course Campus Level Title Grade Credit Quality Start R CEU Contact
Hours Points and Hours
End
Dates

PEDU 555 USC UG Current Topics in A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Phys Educ
Term Totals (Undergraduate)

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Current Term: 3.000 3.000 3.000 3.000 12.00 4.000

Cumulative: 34.000 34.000 34.000 34.000 136.00 4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Fall 2016

College: NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major: Exercise Science

Student Type: Continuing

Academic Standing: Good Standing

Additional Standing: President's List/Dean's List

Subject Course Campus Level Title Grade Credit Quality Start R CEU Contact
Hours Points and Hours
End
Dates

CHEM 112 USC UG General Chemistry A 3.000 12.00

Columbia II

CHEM 112L USC UG General Chemistry A 1.000 4.00

Columbia II Lab

CLAS 230 USC UG Med & Scientific A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Terminology

EXSC 223 USC UG Anatomy and A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Physiology I

EXSC 223L USC UG Anatomy & A 1.000 4.00

Columbia Physiology I Lab

HIST 108 USC UG Science & Tech in A 3.000 12.00

Columbia World Hist

PUBH 102 USC UG Intro to Public A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Health
Term Totals (Undergraduate)

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Current Term: 17.000 17.000 17.000 17.000 68.00 4.000

Cumulative: 51.000 51.000 51.000 51.000 204.00 4.000

Unofficial Transcript

Term: Spring 2017

College: NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major: Exercise Science

Student Type: Continuing

Academic Standing: Good Standing

Additional Standing: President's List/Dean's List

Last Academic Standing: Good Standing

Subject Course Campus Level Title Grade Credit Quality Start R CEU Contact
Hours Points and Hours
End
Dates

EXSC 224 USC UG Anatomy and A 3.000 12.00

 Columbia Physiology II

EXSC 224L USC UG Anatomy and A 1.000 4.00

Columbia Physiology II Lab

PHYS 201 USC UG General Physics I A 3.000 12.00

Columbia

PHYS 201L USC UG General Physics A 1.000 4.00

Columbia Laboratory I

PSYC 420 USC UG Survey of A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Developmental
Psychology

STAT 201 USC UG Elementary A 3.000 12.00

Columbia Statistics
Term Totals (Undergraduate)

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Current Term: 14.000 14.000 14.000 14.000 56.00 4.000

Cumulative: 65.000 65.000 65.000 65.000 260.00 4.000

Unofficial Transcript

TRANSCRIPT TOTALS (UNDERGRADUATE) -Top-

Attempt Passed Earned GPA Quality GPA

Hours Hours Hours Hours Points

Total Institution: 65.000 65.000 65.000 65.000 260.00 4.000

Total Transfer: 0.000 0.000 11.000 0.000 0.00 0.000

Overall: 65.000 65.000 76.000 65.000 260.00 4.000

Unofficial Transcript

COURSES IN PROGRESS -Top-

Term: Fall 2017

College: NJ Arnold Sch of Public Health

Major: Exercise Science

Student Type: Continuing

Subject Course Campus Level Title Credit Hours Start and

End Dates

CHEM 331L USC UG Essentials of Organic 1.000

Columbia Chemistry Laboratory I

CHEM 333 USC UG Organic Chemistry I 3.000

Columbia

EXSC 351 USC UG Acquisition of Motor Skills 3.000

Columbia

EXSC 530 USC UG The Physiology of Muscular 3.000

Columbia Activity

EXSC 530L USC UG Physiology of Muscular 1.000

 Columbia Activity Lab

PSYC 410 USC UG Behavioral and Mental 3.000

Columbia Disorders

PSYC 498 USC UG Project FIT Independent 3.000

Columbia Study

Unofficial Transcript

Magellan Programs Primary Mentor Collaboration Form

Mentor confirmation and responsibilities:
1. This program is based on the foundation of providing students with experience in writing about their research
as an educational practice. The primary criterion is the student’s ability to explain the project and awards are
made in the name of a specific student, not the project itself. The program requires student authorship of the
proposal for the grant writing and editing experience. The proposal is the student’s work and shall not be written
by the mentor. However, mentors are expected to work with the student to develop the project plan and budget,
to enhance the student’s understanding and ability to explain the work, and to provide guidance through the
writing and editing process. The submission must meet the Program Compliance, Research Integrity, and
Authorship guidelines on page 1 of the guidebook.

2. Please mark as appropriate IRB/IACUC requirement: This project does or does not involve the following
• Human subjects: Yes _X__ No ___
• Vertebrate animals: Yes ___ No _X__
Please note: mentors are responsible for ensuring the project is compliant with all human subject, animal use, and
ethical guidelines, requirements, approval, and student training. For questions, please contact the Office of
Research Compliance at 803-777-7095.

3. Funding requirements:
Projects must comply with university procedures and requirements as well as those in the current Magellan
Scholar guidebook. Budgets should be monitored closely as overages are the responsibility of the mentor.

4. Mentors are responsible for ensuring the Scholar complies with the following award requirements (additional
details in the Magellan Scholar Application Guidebook):
a. Blackboard management of award requirements and expectations
 b. Maintain consistent effort towards the completion of the project within the grant period. This is evaluated
each semester by the research mentor through the Research Registry system, based on this rubric OR upon a
set of guidelines/requirements established by the mentor for a successful semester of research. Mentors will
receive an email at the beginning and end of the semester for the evaluation process. More information can
be found on page 21 of the Guidebook.
c. Research ethics course: sessions provided by the Office of Undergraduate Research. NSF/NIH funded projects
also require students to complete the on-line CITI training: http://orc.research.sc.edu/rcr.shtml.
d. Magellan Scholar Final Report
e. Discover USC presentation

By entering my name as the student’s mentor, I confirm and agree to the above.
Non-compliance may result in loss of funding or ineligibility for future Magellan awards.
Mentor name: Dawn K. Wilson, Ph.D.

Collaboration plan and overview:

Student name(s): Lauren Crouse Time known? 3 months
GROUP PROJECTS may be provided on one form. HOWEVER, please provide separate readiness statements (#1)
unique to each student in the group. Questions 2-4 may be the same or vary depending on students and project
needs.

1) Please comment briefly on the student’s readiness or preparation for this project. 300 words max per student. You
may include such factors as coursework, current or past research experience, strengths, weaknesses, intellectual ability, writing
ability, analytical skills, initiative and maturity, and level of independence (novice through advanced).

Lauren Crouse has worked with the Obesity Research Group over the past 3 months as a research assistant on
our National Institutes of Health funded trial “Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss”. She has
demonstrated a strong commitment to being involved and learning about the trial that is testing the efficacy
of a motivational and positive parenting intervention on improving African American adolescents dietary and
physical activity behaviors as well as weight related outcomes over a 1-year period. Lauren is a very
responsible and is eager to advance her skills in research and community trials. She has high personal goals
for advancing her career as a pediatric physician assistant. She is extremely bright and talented and
developed her own independent research question. She has been very proactive and passionate in working
on developing her specific research question related to parent support and values on understanding
adolescent obesity and health related behaviors and has shown she is willing to work hard on Project FIT.

2) What do you expect the student(s) to gain from this project and experience? 200 words max. You may include such
information as skill development and professional experience.

Lauren will gain a comprehensive understanding of behavioral family-based interventions for health
promotion in African Americans adolescents and their families. This will specifically enhance her
understanding of evidenced-based research, scientific methods, and conceptual theories for understanding
how large-scale theory based trials work to change lifestyles in underserved African American families. She will
read and discuss scholarly work related to her project with me and her secondary mentor, Dr. Sweeney, our
post-doc who oversees all of our data on the project. We will discuss articles each week that will help advance
her knowledge of the obesity treatment evidenced-based research, scientific understanding of behavior
change, and in particular the role of parent support and values in understanding lifestyle changes in
adolescents who are overweight. In addition, she will learn valuable data analyses skills. Specifically, she will
work directly with families engaged in the intervention program and will support them with the challenges
they may be facing to prioritize health. Her specific project is well developed and will be presented at
Discovery Day as well as written up for publication. All of these skills will help Lauren progress into her future
goal of pursuing a pediatric physician assistant career.

3) What are the anticipated outcomes, deliverables, and dissemination plan for this project? 200 words max. Discover
USC alone is acceptable for dissemination.

Lauren’s project will be critical to our advancing our understanding of how important parenting support and
values are for our intervention in terms of promoting success in long-term weight loss in overweight African
American adolescents. Lauren believes that families who have positive family environments with positive
parenting skills will be the most likely to show positive treatment outcomes. An important focus of her
research question is that she will look at multiple outcomes including physical activity, diet, and weight related
outcomes in her project. This will give us a comprehensive understanding of how parenting processes may be
important in change healthy lifestyles in underserved African American youth. In addition, she anticipates
developing an outstanding presentation for Discover USC and intends to publish this work in an important
peer review journal.

4) Briefly describe how you will work with the student(s) during this project. 750 words max. Considering the tasks,
deliverables, and timeline of this project, please address the specific ways you will help the applicant(s) develop the skills and
techniques needed to complete the project. Please include meeting frequency and skills known vs needed.

Over the past 15 years I have mentored more that 200 undergraduate students and I believe that it is critical
to provide hands-on mentoring on a weekly basis with students and to allow them opportunities to grow in
developing their project and passions. I plan to work closely with Lauren and teach her on a weekly basis
about obesity treatment programs that target underserved African American families and their youth. She will
work closely with me and Dr. Sweeney to organize the literature and the data related to her specific question.
She will also meet weekly with my National Institute of Health research team that will be an invaluable
opportunity. She will learn interpersonal skills related to working with underserved families and she will
advance her research knowledge and skills with the support of me, and my outstanding post-doctoral fellow
(her secondary mentor), Dr. Sweeney. I am confident this will be an exceptional opportunity for Lauren’s
development in her educational and career goals.
 Magellan Scholar Secondary Mentor Collaboration Form
Secondary Mentor Name: Allison Sweeney, PhD

Department or Affiliation: Psychology

Position or title: Postdoctoral Fellow

Student(s) name(s): Lauren Crouse

1) Please comment briefly on your background and expertise as related to this project.

My background is in Social and Health Psychology, as such I have a strong background in experimental
design, data analysis, and theories of health behavior change. I am involved with data management and
analysis for the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Project. I have been fortunate to have
mentored several excellent undergraduate students in my last 1.5 years working at USC.

2) Briefly describe how you will work with the student(s) during this project. 750 words max. Considering
the tasks, deliverables, and timeline of this project, please address the specific ways you will help the applicant(s) develop
the skills and techniques needed to complete the project. Please include meeting frequency and skills known vs needed.

Lauren began working with the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Project in August of 2017.
This semester she has played an important role in the Intervention Team, and Dr. Wilson and I plan to continue
to elevate Lauren’s role in the lab so that she has the opportunity to be engaged with numerous aspects of our
ongoing projects, including recruitment, working face to face with participants, measurement, and data entry,
management, and analysis. Recently, I have had the opportunity to get to know Lauren more closely and have
been meeting with her on a weekly basis to develop her research proposal. Dr. Wilson, Lauren, and I have
been working collaboratively to develop a set of research questions, which will give Lauren an opportunity to
build upon the content knowledge and emerging skill set she has been developing since joining our research
team. In getting to know Lauren, I have found her to be an exceptionally smart, driven, and diligent student. It
has been a true pleasure working with Lauren this semester and I look forward to continuing to mentor her in
the coming months. Lauren’s proposed project is part of a larger, on-going randomized controlled trial, Project
FIT. The overarching goal of Project FIT is to test the efficacy of a motivational and family-based intervention
on weight loss in African American adolescents and their parents. Within Project FIT, Lauren has taken
ownership over a subset of unique research questions. Specifically, she will be working to link and organize
data that is collected at the onset of the study to answer innovative questions about how aspects of parent-
child relationships relate to adolescent health outcomes. She will play an integral role in helping us to use our
existing measures to develop an index for understanding how different types of parenting values map onto
adolescent health behaviors.

We will be providing Lauren with an office space with a desktop computer, which she will use to enter,
organize, and analyze the data. I truly believe that Lauren’s research questions will make an important
contribution toward furthering our understanding of how parental social support and values shape adolescent
health outcomes. This project will present Lauren with an invaluable opportunity to learn more about
underserved populations, weight loss interventions, and the significance of parent-child relationships. In her
first semester working with Project FIT, Lauren has already developed an advanced understanding of research
methodology, randomized controlled trials, and theories of health behavior change. A Magellan scholarship
would offer Lauren an invaluable opportunity to further broaden her skill set to include expertise in data
management, data analysis, academic writing, and poster presentations. As her secondary mentor, I plan to
continue to meet with Lauren and Dr. Wilson on a weekly basis to oversee data management. Additionally, I
plan to help guide her through analyzing the results of her project, creating a poster to present at Discover
USC, and preparing a publication for Caravel. We hope also to involve Lauren in our weekly team meetings,
which our entire staff attends to discuss the ongoing progress and current status of the project. Not only will
these meetings help Lauren to feel like a valued member of the team, these meetings will also help to enrich
her understanding of various aspects of the project, including participant recruitment, collecting psychosocial
and anthropomorphic data, and the family-based intervention. As a secondary mentor, I hope to 1) broaden
Lauren’s understanding of and passion for scientific research and 2) provide her with a skill set that will help
her to advance her future career goals.