Erika Waters, PhD, MPH, associate professor of surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences, has received a three year, nine month R01 grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The $2,584,000 project, Child asthma exacerbation: Role of caregiver risk beliefs, aims to lay the groundwork for improving interventions for caregivers of children with asthma.
Through a mixed-methods research design, Dr. Waters and colleagues will gain in-depth understanding of the psychological and social factors that shape the decision making process that caregivers use to care for their asthmatic children. This project will provide evidence-based behavioral strategies to improve the lives of 6.2 million children who are affected by asthma. Dr. Waters will collaborate with Jean Hunleth, PhD, MPH, instructor in surgery in the Division of Public Health Sciences and Co-PI James Shepperd, professor of psychology at the University of Florida.