This grant program is designed to advance our mission and further facilitate the development of a research network in Ohio focused on the health and wellbeing of children in Appalachia.

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Currently Funded

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Appalachian Families: Examining Food Insecurity in Context

Principal Investigator: Dr. Joshua Smyth, Ohio Eminent Scholar in Health Psychology at The Ohio State University

 

This project will investigate how food insecurity impacts the well-being of Appalachian parents and their children. Food Insecurity—characterized by a lack of access to sufficient, healthy food—can impair children’s physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development. In Appalachia, where food insecurity rates are high, parents often also contend with additional stressors such as housing instability, limited healthcare access, and precarious employment. These macro-contextual challenges directly, and in combination with food insecurity, elevate parental stress, which shapes the child’s immediate environment. This immediate environment, in turn, influences daily interactions, behavior, and well-being of children. This project will gather ecologically valid, naturalistic daily data on food insecurity, parenting experiences, and child well-being to quantitatively characterize the lived experience of food insecurity within Appalachian families. This research aims to elucidate pathways through which food insecurity undermines child development.

 

Using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) to Assess Social Media Use among 
Adolescent Males in Appalachian Ohio
Principal Investigator: Sheryl L. Chatfield, C.T.R.S., PhD, is an Associate Professor in the College of Public Health at Kent State University

 

Children and adolescents frequently use social media, with potentially negative impacts on mental health. Because boys in rural areas are already at risk for poorer mental health outcomes, there is a critical need to improve measurement and understand the role of social media on their mental health. The purpose of this project is to develop an efficient, credible process for assessing the relationship between mood and social media engagement among adolescent males living in a rural area. Adolescent male participants in this study will be assessed using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), a process to solicit real time information regarding social media activity and measure mood. This will be supplemented by use of retrospective diaries and debriefing focus groups to provide more detailed information regarding social media and other online engagement and solicit participants’ feedback on their research participation. Data will be analyzed using qualitative open coding, thematic, and typical case analysis. The project will result in a practical and credible measurement process, suitable for application or further assessment in multiple contexts.

 

Media Use and Well-being: Addressing Media Use Risks in Appalachian Schools 
Abstract

Principal Investigator: Brandon J. Wood, Ph.D., NCSP, Associate Professor and Program Director of the School Psychology Program, The University of Toledo

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This research will examine the relationship between adolescent social media use and mental health outcomes in Ohio's Appalachian region. With rising rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal behavior among youth, social media use has become a major factor in adolescent mental health concerns. Recent studies highlight significant links between intense social media use and negative mental health outcomes, yet there remains a lack of comprehensive, region specific data on how these dynamics play out in rural areas. This study will explore how social media use risks correlate with mental health symptoms (i.e., anxiety, depression) in middle and high school students. Findings will inform (a) district- and school-level interventions and (b) policies aimed at addressing these issues, potentially leading to region-specific mental health programs, social media literacy initiatives, and policy changes. By focusing on Appalachian Ohio, the research will contribute valuable data to inform broader statewide efforts to mitigate the negative effects of SMU on youth mental health.