Sharon O'Donnell, Ph.D.
Instructor, Department of Pediatrics
Baylor College of Medicine
odonnell@bcm.tmc.edu
Urban market factors that influence healthy food choices and physical activity for children
My research interests can be divided into three areas: a) how do the location choices of households and food establishments influence healthy food choices b) how do the food and leisure choices of households and the characteristics of their neighborhood create a healthy or unhealthy environment for children and c) food assistance programs and food security.
As a new faculty member, I have joined the Center's NCI-funded research project on the Home Fruit, 100% Juice and Vegetable (FJV) availability. One contribution to this research is to analyze how Local Grocery Store FJV availability influences Home FJV availability. We use geocoded food establishment, US census and survey data and spatial analysis tools to characterize the concentration of small independent and chain grocery stores in the Houston metropolitan area and to determine the influence of shopping distance on the quantity and variety of home FJV choices.
Representative Publications
Alok Bhargava and Sharon I. O'Donnell (2003) "Socioeconomic and behavioral factors are predictors of food use in the National Food Stamp Program Survery", submitted.
Sharon I. O'Donnell (2002) "Quality Choices: a Stochastic Equilibrium Model of Homeownership", working paper, Department of Economics, University of Houston.
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