Meg Bruening is an associate professor in the College of Health Solutions. Her research interests include public health nutrition promotion and obesity prevention targeted to underserved, vulnerable youth and families. Major topics in these areas include food insecurity risk and resiliency factors, developing and evaluating public health nutrition interventions, including school- and community-based programs, and social epidemiology/socio-einvrionmental influences of eating behaviors including the role of friendship networks/social support for healthy eating.
Education
Ph.D. Nutritional Sciences, Public Health emphasis; Minor, Epidemiology, University of Minnesota-Minneapolis 2012
M.P.H. Nutrition, University of Minnesota-Minneapolis, MN 2008
Predoctoral Fellow, Interdisciplinary Adolescent Health Research, University of Minnesota-Minneapolis 2008-2012
B.S. Nutritional Sciences; Minor, International Agriculture, Pennsylvania State University-University Park 2003
Public health nutrition promotion and obesity prevention targeted to underserved, vulnerable youth and families. Major topics include:
Food insecurity risk and resiliency factors
Social epidemiology/socio-environmental influences of eating behaviors including the role of friendship networks/social support for healthy eating
Developing and evaluating public health nutrition interventions, including school- and community-based programs
Publications
Selected recent publications
Bruening M, van Woerden I, Schaefer D, Hruschka D, Brewis A, Ohri-Vachaspati P, Todd M, Whisner C, Dunton G, Laska M. Friendship as a social mechanism influencing body mass index (BMI) among emerging adults. PLOSone. 2018; 13(12): e0208894. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0208894
Adams M, Richards T, Ohri-Vachaspati P, Todd M, Bruening M. Design and Rationale for Evaluating Salad Bars and Students' Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: A Cluster Randomized Factorial Trial with Objective Assessments. Contemporary Clinical Trials. ePub ahead of Print, 2019; 77: 37-45. doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2018.12.007
Bruening M, Adams M, Ohri-Vachaspati P, Hurley J. School-level policies, practices, and perceptions associated with salad bars in schools. Journal of School Health. 2018; 88: 416-422.
Bruening M, van Woerden I, Todd M, Laska MN. Hungry to learn: longitudinal effects of food insecurity among post-secondary students. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2018; 15:9. doi.org/10.1186/s12966-018-0647-7
Ashurst J, van Woerden I, Swan P, Ohri-Vachaspati P, Todd M, Bruening M. The Association among Emotions and Food Choices in College Freshmen Using mobile-Ecological Momentary Assessments. BMC Public Health. 2018. 18:573. doi.org/10.1186/s12889-018-5447-0
Blumenschine M, Adams M, Bruening M. Prevalence of and Differences in Salad Bar Implementation in Urban vs. Rural Arizona Public Schools. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2018; 118 (3): 448-454.
Bruening M, Argo K, Payne-Sturges D, Laska MN. The struggle is real: a systematic review of food insecurity on post-secondary campuses. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2017: 117 (11); 1767-1791.doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2017.09.004
Bruening M, Van Woerden I, Todd M, Brennhofer S, Laska M, Dunton G. Validation of a mobile ecological momentary assessment tool for nutrition and physical activity behaviors in college students: Findings from devilSPARC. JMIR. 2016; 18(7):e209. doi.org/10.2196/jmir.5969
Bruening M, Van Woerden I, Todd M, Brennhofer S, Laska MN. Factors related to the high rates of food insecurity in among diverse, urban college freshmen. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2016; 116 (9): 1450–1457. doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2016.04.004
Research Activity
Federally-funded grants as Principal Investigator
Bruening,Meg. Translational Training in MCH Nutrition and Childhood Obesity: The TRANSCEND Program. MCHB, HRSA. (7/1/18-6/30/23).
Bruening,Meg, Adams, Marc. Salad Bars and Students' Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: A Group-Randomized Trial with Objective Assessments. HHS-NIH-NHLBI (08/15/17-06/30/21).
Bruening,Meg. Partners in Excellence for MCH Nutrition. UCLA (AT LOS ANGELES)(7/1/2015 - 6/30/2018).
Bruening,Meg, Ohri-Vachaspati,Punam. Improving Accuracy of Classifying Child Weight Status in Population-Based Studies. HHS-NIH-NICHD(7/3/2014 - 6/30/2016).
Bruening,Meg. The Role of Friendship Networkson BMI and Behaviors among College Freshman. HHS-NIH-OD(9/20/2013 - 8/31/2019).
