College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition

Degree: Ph.D., University of Illinois, 1985 M.S., University of Illinois, 1976

Professional Positions:

Registered Dietitian, American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

Nutrition Education Consultant, Illinois Office of Education

Foods and Nutrition Specialist, University of Illinois, Cooperative Extension Service, Champaign

Research Associate, University of Illinois, Nutrition Research

High School Teacher, San Antonio High School, Guayama, Puerto Rico

Fellow of American College of Nutrition, since 2002

Visiting Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Nutrition Research Center,  Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX

Research Interests:

My research is to empower young adults and resource limited parents of preschoolers to improve their dietary choices for good health—especially fruits, veg, whole grains and low-fat dairy.  I use both qualitative and quantitative research techniques to develop, implement and evaluate theory based nutrition interventions and psychometric instruments for factors affecting dietary behaviors.  I have also recently learned and applied the Nutrition Environmental Monitoring Survey (NEMS) and the Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) model in multistate research projects to prevent excessive weight gain in college students.

Instructional Activities:

HNF 377 – Applied Community Nutrition

HNF 823 – Research Methods in Human Nutrition

Outreach Focus:

My experiences as a high school health teacher, a state Extension nutrition specialist working with Extension, 4-H and the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education program (low income focused), a weight management therapist for adolescents in clinical and community settings, a public health educator in a migrant camp, and a research associate assessing diet quality in older adults has provided a diverse background in varied community settings.  Collaborative research and evaluation has been with Extension, WIC, Head Start, local and state health departments, the Michigan Fitness Foundation, a free medical clinic, United Dairy Industries, the Kellogg Company, and Mott Children’s Hospital.

Selected Publications:

Hughes SO, Frankel LA, Beltran A, Hodges E, Hoerr S, Lumeng J, Tovar A, Kremers S. Food Parenting Measurement Issues: Working Group Consensus Report. Childhood Obesity. 2013;9,Suppl 1. DOI: 10.1089/chi.2013.0032 http://online.liebertpub.com/toc/chi/9/s1.

Dour CA, Horacek TM, Schembre SM, Lohse B, Hoerr S, Kattelmann KK, White AA, Shoff S, Phillips BW, Greene G. Process Evaluation of Project WebHealth: A Nondieting Web-based Intervention for Obesity Prevention in College Students. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2013;45(4): 288-295. DOI:10.1016/j.jneb.2012.10.001. 

Greene G, White A, Hoerr S, Loshe B, Schembre S, Riebe D, Patterson J, Kattelmann K, Schoff S, Horacek T, Blissmer B, Phillips B. Impact of an on-line healthful eating and physical activity program for college students. American Journal of Health Promotion. 2012: 27( 2); e47-e58. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4278/ajhp.110606-QUAN-239

Byrd-Bredbenner C, Michelle Johnson M, Quick VM, Walsh J, Greene GW, Hoerr S, Colby S, Kattelmann KK, Phillips BW, Kidd T,  Horacek TM. Sweet and salty,  An assessment of the snacks and  beverages sold  in vending machines on US post-secondary institution campuses. Appetite. 2012; 58:1143-1151.

Walsh JR, Herbert A, Bryd-Brenner C, Carey G, Colby S, Brown-Esters O, Greene F, Hoerr SL, Horacek T, Kattelmann K, Kidd T, Koenings M, Phillips B, Shelnutt KP, White AA.  Development and preliminary validation of the behavior, environment and changeability survey (BECS). Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2012;44 (6):490-499.

Murashima M, Hoerr SL, Hughes SO, Kaplowitz S.  Mothers’ directive and non-directive control of child feeding is associated with preschoolers’ weight status and food intake in low-income families.  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012; 95:1031-1037.

Murashima M, Hoerr SL, Hughes SO, Kattelmann KK, Phillips BW. Maternal parenting behaviors during childhood relate to weight status and fruit and vegetable intakes of college students. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2012;44:556-563.  

Murashima M, Hoerr SL, Hughes SO, Kaplowitz S. Confirmatory factor analysis of a questionnaire measuring directive, non-directive and food environmental control practices in Head Start mothers.   Appetite. 2011;56(3):594-601.

Hoerr SL, Abdulkradi AO, Miller S, Waltersdorf C, LaShore M, Martin K, Newkirk C. Improving measurement of the EFNEP outcomes using factor analysis of the behavior checklist. Journal of Extension. 2011; August 29. [Article No. 4FEA5] http://www.joe.org/joe/2011august/a5.php 

Greene GW, Schembre SM, White AA, Hoerr SL, Lohse B, Shoff S, Horacek T, Riebe D, Patterson J, Phillips BW, Kattelmann KK, Blismer B.   Identifying clusters of college students at elevated health risk based on eating and exercise behaviors and psychosocial determinants of body weight. Journal of American Dietetic Association. 2011;111:394-400. 

Kakarala M, Keast DR, Hoerr SL. School children’s consumption of competitive foods and beverages, excluding a la carte.  Journal of School Health. 2010;80:429-435.

Hoerr SL, Hughes S, Fisher J, Nicklas T, Liu Y, Shewchuk RM.  Associations between parental feeding styles and children’s food intake in families with limited incomes.  International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2009;6:55. http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/6/1/55

Hoerr SL, Nicklas T, Liu Y, Franklin F. Predictors of calcium intake in mother-child dyads from ethnically diverse families with limited incomes.  Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009:109:1744-1750. 

O’Donnell S, Hoerr SL, Mendoza J, Goh E. Diet quality of fast food kid meals. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2008;88:1388-1395. 

Do M, Kattelmann K, Boeckner L, White A, Greene G, Hoerr S, Horacek T, Lohse B, Phillips B. Low-income young adults report increased variety in fruit and vegetable intake following a stage-tailored intervention.  Nutrition Research. 2008;28: 517–522.

Park A, Nitzke S, Kritsch K, White A, Boeckner L, Lohse B, Kattelmann K, Greene G, Hoerr S, Zhang Z.   Internet-based interventions have potential to affect short-term mediators and indicators of dietary behavior of young adults. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2008;40(5):288-297.

Lee SY, Hoerr SL, Weatherspoon LW, Schiffman R. Nutrition students improve attitudes after a guided experiential assignment with older adults.  Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2008:40:279-287.

Hoerr SL, Tsuei E, Liu Y, Franklin F, Nicklas T. Diet quality varies in multiethnic Head Start mothers. Journal of American Dietetic Association. 2008;108:651-59.