Research Program: Prevention & Etiology
Professor, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health

forst001@umn.edu
612-626-8864 — office

Research Interests

Dr. Forster's research interests center around the potential of public health policy to reduce the population rate of chronic disease risk factors. Currently Dr. Forster is principal investigator of the Minnesota Adolescent Community Cohort Study funded by the National Cancer Institute. This multilevel study combines individual cohort sequential, community-level longitudinal and statewide time series designs to assess the effects of tobacco control programs and policies on smoking during adolescence. Since 2001, Dr. Forster has collaborated with members of the American Indian community in the Twin Cities on a project to develop strategies to reduce commercial tobacco use among Native American youth. She was one of the founders of the Native Youth Tobacco Research Partnership (now the American Indian Community Tobacco Project), which is a community-based participatory research collaboration involving community members in the research development, data collection, interpretation and dissemination of results.

Selected Publications

Lazovich D, Forster JL, Sorensen G, Emmons K, Stryker J, Demierre MF, Hickle A, Remba N. Characteristics Associated with Use or Intention to Use Indoor Tanning Among Adolescents. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Health158(9):918-924, 2004.

Stryker JE, Lazovich D, Forster JL, Emmons KM, Sorensen G, Demierre MF. Maternal/Female Caregiver Influences on Adolescent Indoor Tanning. Journal of Adolescent Health 35:528e1-528e9, 2004.

Lazovich D, Forster, JL. Indoor Tanning by Adolescents: Prevalence, Practices and Policies. European Cancer Journal 41:20-27, 2005.

Lazovich D, Sweeney C, Forster J. Prevalence of Indoor Tanning Use in Minnesota, 2002. Archives of Dermatology 141:523-524, 2005.

Hickle A, Forster JL, Lazovich D, Allwood P, Remba N, Grossmeier J, Sorensen G. Sanitarians' Work with Indoor Tanning Businesses: Findings from Interviews in Two Major Metropolitan Areas. Journal of Environmental Health, 67(8):30-36, 2005.

Zeller S, Lazovich D, Forster J, Widome R. Do Adolescent Indoor Tanners Exhibit Dependency? Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 54(4):589-596, 2006.

Chen V, Forster JL. The Long-Term Effect of Local Policies to Restrict Retail Sale of Tobacco to Youth. Nicotine and Tobacco Research 8(3):371-377, 2006.

Forster JL, Lazovich D, Hickle A, Sorensen G, Demierre M-F. Compliance with Restrictions on Sale of Indoor Tanning Sessions to Youth in Minnesota and Massachusetts. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 55:962-967, 2006.

Klein EG, Forster JL, McFadden B, Outley CW. Minnesota Tobacco-Free Park Policies: Attitudes of the General Public and Park Officials. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 9(Suppl 1):S49-S55, 2007.

Forster JL, Rhodes KL, Poupart J, Baker LO, Davey C for the American Indian Community Tobacco Project Steering Council. Patterns of Tobacco Use in a Sample of American Indians in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 9(Suppl 1):S29-S37, 2007.

Lazovich D, Forster JL, Widome R, VanCoevering P. Tobacco Possession, Use and Purchase Laws and Penalties in Minnesota: Enforcement, Tobacco Diversion Programs, and Youth Awareness. Nicotine & Tobacco Research 9(Suppl 1):S-S, 2007.

Woodruff SI, Pichon LC, Hoerster KD, Forster JL, Gilmer T, Mayer JA. Measuring the Stringency of States' Indoor Tanning Regulations: Instrument Development and Outcomes. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology 56:774-780, 2007.

Uslan K, Forster JL, Chen V. Smoking Policies in Small Worksites in Minnesota. American Journal of Health Promotion 21(5):416-421, 2007.

Forster J, Widome R, Bernat D. Policy Interventions and Surveillance as Strategies to Prevent Tobacco Use in Adolescents and Young Adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 33(6S):S335-S339, 2007.

Widome R, Forster JL, Hannan PJ, Perry CL. Longitudinal patterns of youth access to cigarettes and smoking progression: Minnesota Adolescent Community Cohort (MACC) study (2000-2001). Preventive Medicine 45:442-446, 2007.

Mayer JA, Hoerster KD, Pichon LC, Rubio DA, Woodruff SI, Forster JL. Enforcement of State-Level Indoor Tanning Laws in the US. Preventing Chronic Disease. In press.

Bernat DH, Erickson DJ, Widome R, Perry CL, Forster JL. Adolescent Smoking Trajectories: Results from a Population-Based Cohort Study. Journal of Adolescent Health. In press.

Bernat DH, Lazovich D, Forster JL, Oakes JM, Chen V. Area-level variation in adolescent smoking.  Preventing Chronic Disease. In press.

O'Dougherty M, Forster J, Widome R. Communicating with Local Elected Officials: Lessons Learned from Clean Indoor Air Ordinance Campaigns. Health Promotion Practice. In press.

Forster JL, Brokenleg I, Rhodes KL, Lamont GR, Poupart J. Factors associated with cigarette smoking among American Indian youth in Minneapolis-St. Paul. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. In press.