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Friedman Faculty
Christina D Economos
The New Balance Chair in Childhood Nutrition; Associate Professor, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy
Program Director:
Nutrition Communication

Associate Director, John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition and Obesity Prevention
Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Community Health at Tufts University School of Medicine
Adjunct Faculty, Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service at Tufts University

Education:

Ph.D. in Nutrition, Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy

Contact Information
Phone: 
(617) 636-3784
Email: 
christina.economos@tufts.edu
Research
General Research: 

Dr. Economos's research efforts have addressed the interaction between exercise, diet, and body composition aimed at preventing osteoporosis and obesity, starting in early childhood. She is the principal investigator of multiple large-scale studies examining childhood nutrition and physical activity with the goal of inspiring behavior, policy, and environmental change to improve the health of America's children. She has worked effectively with diverse communities and has crafted, implemented, and evaluated physical activity and nutrition education curriculum. Dr. Economos's work engages theory and scientific evidence as vehicles to spark systemic, community-based change.

Current Research: 

The CHANGE Project with Save the Children, The BALANCE Study funded by the Pepsico Foundation, Understanding physical Activity in rural America funded by RWJF, and Assessing and Preventing Obesity in New Immigrants, funded by the National Institutes for Health (NIH).

Past Research: 

The BONES (Beat Osteoporosis: Nourish and Exercise Skeletons) Project funded by NICHD, Shape Up Somerville, EAT SMART, PLAY HARD funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Tufts Longitudinal Health Study (TLHS).

Professional Affiliations

Dr. Economos currently serves as an appointed member of the Institute of Medicine's Committee on an Evidence Framework for Obesity Prevention Decision-Making.

Select Recent Publications
Hughes SO, Cross MB, Hennessy E, Tovar A, Economos CD, Power TG. Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire: Establishing cutoff points. Appetite. 2011;58:393-5. Abstract
Kafka T, Economos CD, Folta SC, Sacheck JM. Children as subjects in nutrition research: a retrospective look at their perceptions. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2011;43:103-9. Abstract
Umstattd RM, Baller SL, Hennessy E, Hartley D, Economos CD, Hyatt RR, et al. Development of the Rural Active Living Perceived Environmental Support Scale (RALPESS). Journal of Physical Activity & Health. 2011. Abstract
Sacheck JM, Nelson T, Ficker L, Kafka T, Kuder J, Economos CD. Physical activity during soccer and its contribution to physical activity recommendations in normal weight and overweight children. Pediatric Exercise Science. 2011;23:281-92. Abstract
Liu E, McKeown NM, Pittas AG, Meigs JB, Economos CD, Booth SL, et al. Predicted 25-hydroxyvitamin D score and change in fasting plasma glucose in the Framingham offspring study. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2011. Abstract
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