Contact
For administrative calls, please contact:
- Gloria Vasquez
- vasquezg2@uthscsa.edu
Programs
Departments & Divisions
Cristina S. Barroso, DrPH, MPH
Chair, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society
Associate Professor
Dr. Barroso earned a Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) in Behavioral Sciences and an MPH from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, School of Public Health. Additionally, she received a BS in Biology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
Her areas of interest in teaching are qualitative research methods. She is a health equity researcher. She focuses on childhood obesity, healthy eating, active living, body image, and e-cigarette use within the context of policy, systems, and the environment (PSE). She uses a multidisciplinary approach and mixed methods, including community-based participatory approaches, to seek to: 1) understand mechanisms by which PSE influences chronic disease onset and progression among underserved populations such as racial/ethnic minorities; 2) identify modifiable targets for intervention; and 3) devise responsive, multi-level, evidence-based strategies to eliminate health disparities and achieve health equity.
Dr. Barroso's most recent academic appointment is to the University of Tennessee, College of Nursing as an associate professor, tenured, teaching in the Ph.D., DNP, and undergraduate programs.
Additionally, Dr. Barroso is a section editor (Public Health) for the journal Annals of Medicine and serves on the board of the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, which provides primary health services at no cost to residents in East Tennessee.
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Professional Background
Education
- 2005 - Doctor of Public Health - Health Promotion and Health Education - The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
- 1998 - Master of Public Health - Community Health - Health Promotion and Health Education - The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Training
- 2023 - Leadership Institute - The University of Tennessee System
- 2022 - Leadership Acceleration and Development for Rising Stars - The University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Appointments
- 2024 - Chair, Department of Health, Behavior, and Society - UT School of Public Health San Antonio
- 2024 - Associate Professor - UT School of Public Health San Antonio
- 2021 - 2023 - Associate Professor, Tenured - The University of Tennessee - College of Nursing
- 2020 - 2023 - Adjunct Faculty - Baylor University Robbins College of Health & Human Sciences Public Health
- 2014 - 2021 - Associate Professor, Tenured - University of Tennessee College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences Public Health
- 2012- 2014 - Assistant Professor Southwest Borderland Scholar - Arizona State University School of Nutrition and Health Promotion
- 2005 - 2012 - Assistant Professor - University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston School of Public Health (UTSPH), Brownsville Regional Campus
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Research & Grants
Grants
Ongoing Research Support
- COVID-CARE: Community-drive Approaches to Assess, Resource, and Engage Underserved Communities to Address the Burden of COVID-19. NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) Against COVID-19 Disparities. Barroso, C. (consultant). $20,000. Grant period: 4/1/2022-6/30/2023.
- Leadership Education in Maternal and Child Health Nutrition. DHHS-Health Resources and Services Administration’s Maternal and Child Health Bureau (HRSA-T7909805). Spence, M. (PI), Barroso, C.(Co-PI), Colby, S., Kavanagh, K., Raynor, H., Russomanno, J., Webster, E., Yoo, J. $1,124,414.Grant period: 7/1/2023-6/30/2028.
- Knowledge, Awareness, and Receptivity of African American Mothers to Community Doula Services in East Tennessee. University of Tennessee, Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Kavanagh, K. (PI), Barroso, C. (Co-PI), Abayomi, T. Funding amount: $10,000. Grant period: 7/1/2023-12/1/2024.
Completed Research Support
- Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Nutrition Leadership Education and Training Program. DHHS-Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA-18-076). Spence, M. (PI), Barroso, C.S. (Co-I). Funding amount: $1,118,989 ($9,631 to College of Nursing). Grant period: 7/1/2018-6/30/2023.
- Exploring the Role of Outdoor Physical Activity in the Lives of Children Experiencing Homelessness: Perceptions of Equity and Inclusion. Chancellor’s Grants for Faculty Research. Barroso, C.S. (PI), Cronley, C. Funding amount: $4,500. Project period: 8/1/2021-5/30/2021.
- AlignCare™ – A Conceptual Model for Veterinary Care Delivery to Families with Limited Means. Maddie’s Fund. (Blackwell, M. [PI]). Public Health research arm: Brown, K.C. (PI), Barroso, C.S. (Co-PI), Souza, M, Daugherty, L.M. Funding amount: $2,800,000 ($70,000 to the Department of Public Health). Grant period: 6/1/2018-7/31/2021.
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Service
Service to the Profession
- American Public Health Association: 2005 - present
- 2005 - present, Conference abstract reviewer
- 2016 - 2019, Public Health Education and Health Promotion Section, Awards Committee
- 2018 - 2020, Aging & Public Health Section, Annual Meeting Theme Committee
- 2016, Faculty mentor, Sewell Stipend for Melanie Allen, MSIS, AHIP, UTK Health Science Librarian
- Society of Behavioral Medicine: 2018 - present
- 2018 - 2020, Conference abstract reviewer
- 2018 - 2020, Obesity and Eating Disorders Special Interest Group, Trainee Awards Committee
- International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
- 2008 - 2021, Conference abstract reviewer
- Society for Public Health Education
- 2019 - present, Conference abstract reviewer
- Active Living Research
- 2008 - 2010, Conference abstract reviewer
- American School Health Association
- 2007, Conference abstract reviewer
- Journal Section Editor
- 2020 - 2023, Annals of Medicine, Public Health section
- 2019 - 2023, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Community
- 2022 - present, Board member, United Way of Greater Knoxville, Community Food Security Advisory Committee
- 2019 - present, Board member, Knox County Health Department, Park Activation Advisory Committee
- 2019 - present, Board member, St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, Knoxville, Tennessee
- 2019 - present, Member/Chair, East Tennessee Childhood Obesity Coalition
- American Public Health Association: 2005 - present
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Publications
- Bernier, J.,* Barroso, C. (in press). Discriminative nursing care practices towards patients withopioid use disorder in the hospital setting: An integrative review. The Online Journal of Issues inNursing.
- Jones, C.,* Barroso, C., Fitzhugh, E., Miossi, L., Hornbuckle, L. (in press). Successful physicalactivity maintainers: strategies and characteristic of young African American Women. Women inSport and Physical Activity Journal.
- McElrone M, Evans J, Anderson Steeves E, Barroso C, Spence M. (in press). Development of adata visualization tool to evaluate the impact of a maternal and child health nutrition leadershiptraining program on the maternal and child population. Maternal and Child Health Journal. doi:10.1007/s10995-023-03606-7
- Yockey, A., Barroso, C.S. (2023). Drugged driving among U.S. adolescents, 2016-2019, USA.Journal of Safety Research. 84, 1-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jsr.2022.10.002
- Hornbuckle, L.M., McClean Cooke, W., Rauer, A., Barroso, C.S. (2022). African American couples’ experiences during an exercise intervention interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative case study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 19,4190. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19074190
- Clark, L.,* Lopez, E-I.,* Woods, L.,* Yockey, A., Butler, R., Barroso, C.S.** (2022). Nutrition-related information shared by Latine influencers: a YouTube content analysis. Health Promotion Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248399221083302
- Barroso, C.S., Brown, K.C., Laubach, D.,* Souza, M., Daugherty, L.M., Dixson, M. (2021). Cat and/or dog ownership, cardiovascular disease, and obesity: a systematic review. VeterinarySciences. 8, 333. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8120333
- Scoresby, K., Strand, E.B, Ng, Z., Brown, K.C., Stilz, C.R., Strobel, K., Barroso, C.S., Souza, M.(2021). Pet ownership and mental health: a systematic review of the literature. VeterinarySciences. 8, 332. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci8120332
- Zimmer, M.,* Moshfegh, A.J., Vernarelli, J. A., Barroso C.S.** (2022). Participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and dietary intake in children: Associations with race and ethnicity. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 62(4),578-585. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2021.10.017
- Raynor, H.A., Propst, S., Robson, S., Berlin, K.S., Barroso. C.S., Khatri, P. (2022). Implementing Prevention Plus with underserved families in an integrated primary care setting. Childhood Obesity, 18(4), 254-265. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2021.0071
- Ehrlich, S.F., Maples, J., Barroso. C.S., Brown, K.C., Bassett, D., Zite, N.B., Fortner, K. (2021). Using a consumer-based wearable activity tracker for physical activity goal setting and measuring steps in pregnant women with gestational diabetes mellitus: exploring acceptance and validity. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 21, 420. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-021-03900-8
- Barroso, C.S., Yockey, A., Degon, E.,* Poudel, P.,* Brown, S.D., Hedderson, M.M., Moreno-Hunt,C., Ehrlich, S.F. (2021). Efficacious lifestyle interventions for appropriate gestational weight gain in women with overweight or obesity set in the health care system: a scoping review. The Journal of the Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine, 1-14.https://doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2021.1914576
- Hornbuckle, L.M., Barroso, C.S., Rauer, A., Jones, C.S., Winters-Stone, K.M. (2021). “It was just for us”: qualitative evaluation of an exercise intervention for African American couples. BMCPublic Health, 21(1), 838. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10659-2
- Mantey, D., Yockey, A., Barroso, C.S.** (2021). Role of sex on the relationship between sexual minority status and past 30-day marijuana use among high school students (YRBS, 2015-2019).Addictive Behaviors, 118, 106905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106905
- Adigun, S., Barroso, C., Mixer, S., Myers, C.R., Anderson, J.G. (2021). Minding the gaps: Healthcare access for foreign-born persons in the U.S. – An integrative review. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 32(4), 1653-1675.
- Mantey, D., Omega-Njemnobi, O.S., Barroso, C.** (2021). Secondhand smoke exposure at home and/or in a vehicle: differences between urban vs. non-urban adolescents in the United States, from 2015 to 2018. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 23(8), 1327-1333.https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaa222
- Mantey, D., Yockey, R.A., Barroso, C.S.** (2021). Role of sex on the relationship between sexual minority status and misperceptions of body weight among high school students. Journal of Adolescent Health, 68(2), 342-349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2020.05.051
- Mantey, D.S., Chido-Amajuoyi, O.G., Barroso, C.S.** (2020). Retail access is associated with multiple tobacco product use among adolescents. Journal of Family Strengths, 20(1), 1.https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/jfs/vol20/iss1/1
- Morgan, K., Barroso, C.S., Bateman, S., Dixson, M., Brown, K.C. (2020). Patients’ experiences of interprofessional collaborative practice in primary care: a scoping review of the literature.Journal of Patient Experience, 7(6), 1466-1475. https://doi.org/10.1177/2374373520925725(data-based, 20% contribution)
- Zimmer, M.,* Rubio, V.,* Kintziger, K., Barroso C.** (2020). Differences in consumption of NASEM priority nutrients and food groups among women living in WIC-participating households.American Journal of Health Promotion, 34(7), 791-795. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890117120920849
- Barroso, C.S., Springer, A.E., Ledingham, C.M., Kelder, S.H. (2020). A qualitative analysis of the social and cultural contexts that shape screen time use in Latino families living on the U.S.-Mexico border. Journal of Qualitative Studies in Health & Well-being, 15(1), 1735766.https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2020.1735766
- Mantey, D., Omega-Njemnobi, O., Barroso, C.S., Kelder, S.H. (2020). Self-reported history of concussions is associated with risk factors for suicide completion among high school students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 263, 684-691. https://doi.or/10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.047
- Zimmer, M.,* Rubio, V.,* Kintziger, K., Barroso, C.** (2019). Racial/ethnic disparities in dietary intake of U.S. children participating in WIC. Nutrients, 11(11), 2607;https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112607
- Raynor, H., Barroso, C., Propst, S., Berlin, K.S., Robson, S., Khatri, P. (2020). Reach of a low-intensity, multi-component childhood overweight and obesity intervention delivered in an integrated primary care setting. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 10(3), 760-769.https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/tbm/ibz055.
- Fitzhugh, E.C., Barroso, C.S., Burbano, L., Browning, A. (2022). Increasing park use and physical activity: a collaboration of parks and recreation, public health, and university. In. Hironaka-Juteau, J.H. & Lankford, S.V. (Eds.) Interprofessional Collaborations in Parks, Recreation and Human Services: Theory and Cases. Redshelf eBook. Champaign, Illinois: Sagamore-Venture Publishing LLC.
- Mendoza, J.A. & Barroso, C.S. (2011). Television viewing and physical activity among Latino children. In. Pérez-Escamilla, R. & Melgar-Quiñonez, H. (Eds.) At Risk: Latino Children’s Health (pp.151-178). Houston, Texas: Arte Público Press.
- Springer, A., Barroso, C.S., Rabl, A., van den Berg, A. (2023). Planning health promotion and disease prevention programs and interventions. In Coreil, J. (Ed.) Social and Behavioral Foundations of Public Health (3rd Edition).
Peer Reviewed
Peer-Reviewed Book Chapters
Book Chapter