Rachel Widome, PhD

The focus on my research centers on how environmental and contextual factors (such as policy or economic conditions) influence chronic disease-related behaviors, such as tobacco use and eating. My work is currently focused on three areas: the role sleep plays in development of obesity and how policy could promote healthful sleep; policy and interventions that can promote tobacco-free lifestyles in populations that face disadvantage; and commercial cigarette marketing in American Indian communities. I also study military veteran health issues, such as food access, tobacco use cessation, and sleep patterns. 

• 2016–2019, NIH/NICHD, "Impacts of Later High School Start Times on Adolescent Weight and Weight-Related Behavior," Principal Investigator
• 2016-2018, Clearway Minnesota, "Impacts of Commercial Tobacco Marketing on American Indian Reservations," Co-Principal Investigator  with Kristine Rhodes of American Indian Cancer Foundation (AICAF)
• 2014-2017, Clearway Minnesota “Impact of Smoke-Free Policy Implementation on Public Housing Buildings,” Co-Principal Investigator with Deb Hennrikus

See a full list of publications on PubMed

Selected Recent Publications

• Carroll AJ, Carnethon MR, Liu K, Jacobs DR, Colangelo LA, Stewart JC, Carr JJ, Widome R, Auer R, Hitsman B. "Interaction Between Smoking and Depressive Symptoms with Subclinical Heart Disease in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study," Health Psychology, Oct 2016
• Castro Y, Heck K, Forster JL, Widome R, Cubbin C. "Social and Environmental Factors Related to Smoking Cessation among Mothers: Findings from the Geographic Research on Wellbeing (GROW) Study," American Journal of Health Behavior, Nov 2015
• Widome R, Joseph AM, Hammett P, Van Ryn M, Nelson DB, Nyman JA, Fu SS. "Associations Between Smoking Behaviors and Financial Stress Among Low-Income Smokers," Preventive Medicine Reports, Oct 2015
• Aldrich MC, Hidalgo B, Widome R, Briss P, Brownson RC, Teutsch SM. "The Role of Epidemiology in Evidence-Based Policy Making: A Case Study of Tobacco Use in Youth," Annals of Epidemiology, May 2015
• Widome R, Jensen A, Bangerter A, Fu SS. "Food Insecurity Among Veterans of the US Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," Public Health Nutrition, April 2015
• Widome R, Jensen A, Fu SS. "Socioeconomic Disparities in Sleep Duration Among Veterans of the US Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan," American Journal of Public Health, Feb 2015