Research Programs: Prevention & Etiology
Assistant Professor: Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Program in Health Disparities Research

msnanney@umn.edu
612 626-6794—office
Preferred method of contact: e-mail

Dr. Nanney received her B.S. in nutrition and dietetics from Southeast Missouri State University, her M.S. in community nutrition from Eastern Kentucky University, and an M.P.H. emphasizing behavioral science and a Ph.D. in public health research from Saint Louis University School of Public Health. She is also a registered dietitian. Dr. Nanney has been very active in community efforts to promote healthy lifestyles by serving on boards for hunger relief, anti-tobacco, school wellness, and worksite organizations.

Research Interests

Dr. Nanney's research interests include obesity prevention through health policy approaches, eating patterns in families and across generations, environmental changes at school and the larger community context, and the greater dissemination of effective health education, cancer and obesity prevention programs, especially in underserved and minority populations. She has headed several community-based research projects over the past 10 years funded by the American Cancer Society, Center's For Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Cancer Institute researching the role of nutrition and obesity prevention.

Selected Publications

Haire-Joshu, D & Nanney MS. Prevention of overweight and obesity in children: Influences on the food environment. The Diabetes Educator. 2002, 28(3):415-422.

Haire-Joshu D, Brownson R, Nanney MS, Houston C, Steger-May K, Schechtman K & Auslander A. Improving dietary behavior in African Americans: The Parents as Teachers High 5, Low Fat Program. Preventive Medicine. 2003, 36:684-691.

Eyler AA, Haire-Joshu D, Brownson R & Nanney MS. Personal and Environmental Correlates of Fat Intake among Urban, Low Income, African Americans. American Journal Health Behavior. 2004 (28)5, 410-417.

Eyler A, Nanney MS, Elliot M, Lohman D, Brownson R, Haire-Joshu D. Correlates of After-school Activity Preference in Children Ages 5-12: The PARADE Study. American Journal of Health Education. 2006, 37(2), 69-77.

Nanney MS, Haire-Joshu D, Brownson R, Elliot M & Kostelc J. Awareness and Adoption of a Nationally Disseminated Dietary Curriculum. American Journal of Health Behavior, 2007;31(1):64-73.

Nanney MS, Johnson S, Elliott M & Haire-Joshu D. Eating Home Grown Produce is Associated with Higher Intake and Less Costs for Parents and their Preschool Children in Rural Missouri. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2007;107;577-584.

Metos J & Nanney MS. The Strength of School Wellness Policies: One State's Experience. Journal of School Health, 2007;77(7):362-72.

Nanney MS, Schermbeck R, Haire-Joshu D. Examination of the Adherence to the 5 a Day the Color Way Campaign among Parents and their Rural Preschool Children. Journal of Cancer Education, 2007;22-177-80.

Nanney MS, Bohner C, Friedrichs M. Poverty-related factors associated with obesity prevention policies in Utah secondary schools. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 2008;108:1210-1215

Haire-Joshu D, Elliott B, Caito N, Hessler K, Nanney MS, Hale N, Boehmer T, Kreuter M, Brownson R. High 5 for Kids: The impact of a home visiting program on fruit and vegetable intake of parents and their preschool children. Preventive Medicine, 2008;47:77-82.

Peer Reviewed Book Chapters:
Haire-Joshu D & Nanney MS. Behavioral interventions for cancer prevention: dietary intake and physical activity. In Evidence Based Intervention in Oncology. Eds. Givens B and Givens B. Springer Publishers, St. Louis, MO, 2002.

Nanney MS. Obesity prevention during preschool and preadolescent years. In Handbook of Obesity Prevention A Resource for Health Professionals. Eds. Kumanyika S and Brownson R. Springer Publishers, New York, NY. 2007.