Karina R. Lora

Karina Lora

Karina R. Lora

Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Director of the Public Health Nutrition MPH Program


School: Milken Institute School of Public Health

Department: Exercise and Nutrition Sciences

Contact:

Office Phone: 202-994-4226
950 New Hampshire Avenue, 214

Karina R. Lora, Ph.D., R.D. joined the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at The George Washington University in August of 2018. Dr. Lora is a community/public health nutritionist with a long standing record of working with undeserved multicultural populations. Dr. Lora research focuses broadly on childhood obesity prevention in minority populations. One of Dr. Lora’s research goals is to understand the individual, behavioral, and home environmental factors that influence dietary patterns of family members to develop and implement interventions that are culturally relevant for success. Dr. Lora has a strong interest in integrating teaching and research to provide students with pedagogical approaches that enhance their learning outcomes, cultural competence skills, and awareness of social issues while benefiting communities by evaluating community/public health programs to improve their delivery and impact.

Prior to joining The George Washington University, Dr. Lora was a tenure-track Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, Researcher at the University of Connecticut Health Center, and a Faculty Specialist at the University of Maryland.


Nutrition

Obesity

Underserved Populations

Program Evaluation

Health Disparities

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Center for Public Health and Health Policy, University of Connecticut Health, Farmington CT

Ph.D.  Nutrition, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE  

M.S.    Nutrition, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE

B.S.     Food Engineering, Universidad del Callao, Bellavista, Peru

EXNS 6242: Life Cycle Nutrition

PUBH 6619: Fundamental of Nutrition Science

EXNS 2115: Nutrition Science II

EXNS 2124: Nutrition Through the Life Cycle

Montgomery County Food Council

  • Food Recovery and Access Working Group
  • Food Recovery and Access Nutrition Standards Subgroup
  • Food Education Working Group
  • Parental Influences on Children Food Consumption and Obesity Development
  • Dietary Assessment Methodology
  • Parent and Child Food Consumer Behaviors and Food Consumer Socialization in Early Childhood
  • Assessment of the Home Food Environment
  • Food Insecurity 
  • Social Determinants of Health/ Underserved/ Minority Populations

Branscum P, Lora K. Determinants of Parenting Practices Related to Monitoring Sugar Sweetened Beverages Among Hispanic Mothers. J Immigr Minor Health. 2019 Mar 5. doi: 10.1007/s10903-019-00875-9

Paul Wiechmann, Karina Lora, Paul Branscum, Jicheng Fu. Identifying Discriminative Attributes to Gain Insight Regarding Child Obesity in Hispanic Preschoolers Using Machine Learning Techniques. (2017). International Conference on Tools with Artificial Intelligence. 29th IEEE International Conference. IEEE, 2017.

Kathryn Lively*, Oluborode Babawale*, David Thompson, Amanda Sheffield-Morris, Jennifer Harris, Susan B. Sisson, Marshall Cheney, Karina R. Lora.# Relationship between Maternal Feeding Practices and Mothers Frequency of Purchase Nutrient-Poor Marketed Foods and Fruits and Vegetables Requested by Their 2-7 year-old Children during Grocery Co-Shopping. (2017).  Public Health Nutrition. 7:1-6. doi: 10.1017/S1368980017002142

Karina R. Lora,# Marshall Cheney, Paul Branscum. Hispanic Mothers’ Views of the Father’s Role in Promoting Healthy Behaviors at Home: Focus Groups Findings. (2017) Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.117(6):914-922.  doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2017.01.005.

Swyden, K., Sisson, S.B., Sheffield-Morris, A., Lora, K.R., Weedn. A., Copeland, K.A., DeGrace, B. Association Between Maternal Stress, Work Status, Concern about Child Weight and Restrictive Feeding Practices Among Preschool Children. (2017). Journal of Maternal and Child Health. 21(6):1349-1357. doi: 10.1007/s10995-016-2239-y.

Rachel E. Scherr, Kevin D. Laugero, Dan J. Graham, Brian T. Cunningham, Lisa Jahns, Karina R. Lora, Marla Reicks, Amy R. Mobley. Innovative techniques for evaluating behavioral nutrition interventions in the community. (2017) Advances in Nutrition.8(1):113-25. doi:10.3945/an.116.013862.

Paul Branscum, Karina Lora. Using the Integrated Behavioral Model of Prediction to Predict Maternal Monitoring of Fruit and Vegetable Consumption among Hispanic Mothers. (2017). Family and Community Health. Jan/Mar; 40(1):32-38. PMID: 27870752

Katheryn Swyden, Susan B. Sisson, Karina Lora, Sherri Castle, Kristen A. Copeland. Association of child-care arrangement with overweight and obesity in preschool age children: A narrative review of literature. International Journal of Obesity. (2016). In press

Susan B. Sisson, Julie StonerJi Li, Lancer Stephens, Janis E. Campbell, Karina R. Lora, Sandra H. Arnold, Diane Horm, Beth DeGrace. Tribally-Affiliated Childcare Center Environment and Obesogenic Behaviors in Young Children. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (2017). 117(3):433-440. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.10.015.

Megan Krampe, Susan B. Sisson, Chelsea L. Smith, Andrea H. Rasbold, Diane Horm, Janis E. Campbell, Karina R. Lora, Allen Knehans. Children’s Dietary Intake in Child Care Centers by Body Mass, Age, and Sex. Jacobs Journal of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. (2016). In press

Karina R. Lora,# Laura Hubbs-Tait, Ann Ferris, Dorothy Wakefield. African-American and Hispanic Children’s Beverage Intake: Differences in Associations with Desire to Drink, Fathers’ Feeding Practices, and Weight Concerns. (2016). Appetite.107:558-567. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2016.09.012. PMID: 27620644

Karina R. Lora,# Laura-Hubbs-Tait, Melissa Guzman*, Dorothy Wakefield, Susan Sisson, Lara Mayeux. Preschoolers’ influence on and help with beverage selection at the grocery store is linked to maternal responsiveness and child beverage intake: an exploratory study. (2016). Eating Behaviors, 23:19-23. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.07.008. PMID: 27448510

Karina R. Lora,# Brenda Davy, Valisa Hedrick, Ann Ferris, Michael Anderson, Dorothy Wakefield. Assessing Initial Validity and Reliability of a Beverage Intake Questionnaire in Hispanic Preschoolers. (2016). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 116(12):1951-1960. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2016.06.376. PMID: 27554270

Paul Branscum, Karina Lora. Development and validation of an instrument measuring theory-based determinants of monitoring obesogenic behaviors of preschoolers among Hispanic mothers. (2016). International Journal of Environmental Research and Pubic Health, Jun 2;13(6). doi: 10.3390/ijerph13060554. PMID: 27271643

Susan B. Sisson, Ji Li, Julie A. Stoner, Karina R. Lora, Janis E. Campbell, Sandra H. Arnold, Beth DeGrace, Diane Horm, Lancer Stephens. Obesogenic environments in tribally-affiliated childcare centers and corresponding obesity rates in preschool children. (2016). Preventive Medicine Reports, 3:151-158. PMID: 27419008

Beth W. DeGrace, Ruth Foust, Susan Sisson, Karina R. Lora.The Benefits of Family Meals for Children with Special Therapeutic and Behavioral Needs. (2016). American Journal of Occupational Therapy. May-Jun;70(3). PMID: 27089299

Karina R. Lora,# Paul Branscum, Susan B. Sisson, Lindsay M. Scott*, Michael Anderson, Allen Knehans. Food Label Use, Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Household Availability of Beverages of Low-Income Mothers of Preschoolers. (2015). American Journal of Health Studies, 30(3):118-127. PMID: none.

Rasbold AH, Sisson SB, Lora KR, Mitchell C. Television Access, Dinnertime Food Consumption and Obesity Among Young Children in Oklahoma. (2016). Advances in Pediatric Research, 3:3 PMID: none.

Dennison ME, Sisson SB, Lora K, Stephens LD, Copeland KC, Caudillo C. Assessment of Body Mass Index, Sugar Sweetened Beverages Intake and Time Spent in Physical Activity of American Indian Children (2015). Journal of Community Health. 40(4):808-14. PMID: 25750107

Katheryn Swyden, Susan B. Sisson, Karina Lora, Ashley Weedn, Amanda Sheffield-Morris, Beth DeGrace, Kristen A Copeland. Relationship Between Parental Perception and Concern for Child Weight and Influence on Obesogenic Parenting Practices. (2015). Advances in Pediatric Research. PMID: none.

Lora K.R.,# Sisson S.B., DeGrace B.W., Morris A.S. Frequency of Family Meals and 6-11-year-old Children's Social Behaviors. (2014). Journal of Family Psychology. 28(4):577-582.

Susan B. Sisson, Amanda Sheffield-Morris, Paul Spicer, Karina Lora, Chelsey Latorre C. Influence of Family Structure on Obesogenic Behaviors and Placement of Bedroom TV of American Children: National Survey of Children’s Health 2007. (2014). Preventive Medicine, 61:48-53.

Frampton AM, Sisson SB, Horm D, Campbell JE, Lora K, Ladner JL. What’s for Lunch? An Analysis of Lunch Menus in 83 Urban and Rural Oklahoma-Child Care Centers Providing All-Day Care to Preschool Children. (2013). Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114 (1367-1374). PMID:24332085

Lora KR,# Lewis NM, Eskridge KM, Stanek-Krogstrand K, Travnicek DA. Correlation of Omega-3 Fatty Acids Intakes with Acculturation and Socioeconomic Status in Midwestern Latinas. (2013). Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 13(1):111-118.

Ferris AM, Lora KR, Quesada, C, Wakefield D. Effectiveness of an Information. Motivation and Behavior (IBM)-based Theoretical Model for Reducing Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption in Preschool Children. (2012). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 44(4):S83.

Pierce MB, Hudson KA, Lora KR, Havens EK, Ferris AM. The Husky Byte Program: Delivering Nutrition Education One Sound Byte at a Time (2011). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 43(2): 135-136.

Lora KR,# Lewis NM, Eskridge KM, Stanek-Krogstrand K, Ritter-Gooder P. Validity and Reliability of an Omega-3 Fatty Acid Food Frequency Questionnaire for First-Generation Midwestern Latinas (2010). Nutrition Research, 30(8): 550-557.

Lora KR,# Morse KL, Gonzalez-Kruger GE, Driskell JA. High saturated fat and cholesterol intakes and abnormal plasma lipid concentrations observed in a group of 4-8 year-old children of Latino immigrants in rural Nebraska. (2006). Nutrition Research, 27 483-491.

Lora KR,Giraud DW, Davy SR, Driskell JA. Children of Latino Immigrants, 4-8 years, in Rural Nebraska are Adequate in Vitamin B-6. (2006). International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 76(2):47-56.

Kim YN, Lora KR, Giraud DW, Driskell JA. Non-supplemented Children, 4-8 y, of Latino Immigrants have Low Vitamin E Intakes and Plasma Concentrations and Normal Vitamin C, Selenium, and Carotenoid Intakes and Plasma Concentrations. (2006). Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 106(3):385-391.