Meg Bruening
Senior Global Futures Scientist, Global Futures Scientists and Scholars
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Long Bio
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
- R.D. Registered Dietitian 2003
Research Interests
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).
Courses
2022 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
2022 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
2021 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 290 | Intro Evidence-Based Research |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
| NTR 598 | Special Topics |
| NTR 290 | Intro Evidence-Based Research |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
2021 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
2021 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
2020 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 290 | Intro Evidence-Based Research |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
| EXW 780 | Practicum |
| NTR 598 | Special Topics |
| NTR 290 | Intro Evidence-Based Research |
2020 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
2020 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
| CHS 499 | Individualized Instruction |
2019 Fall
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| EXW 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 550 | Adv Nutrition Life Cycle |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| CHS 494 | Special Topics |
| CHS 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| NTR 590 | Reading and Conference |
| NTR 780 | Practicum |
| EXW 780 | Practicum |
2019 Summer
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
2019 Spring
| Course Number | Course Title |
|---|---|
| EXW 692 | Research |
| EXW 792 | Research |
| EXW 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 499 | Individualized Instruction |
| NTR 692 | Research |
| NTR 792 | Research |
| NTR 799 | Dissertation |
| NTR 599 | Thesis |
| NTR 492 | Honors Directed Study |
| NTR 493 | Honors Thesis |
| NTR 598 | Special Topics |