Chrisa Arcan, Ph.D., M.H.S., M.B.A., R.D.
Associate Professor
Department: Division of Epidemiology
Phone: (804) 827-4161
Email: hrisanti.arcan@vcuhealth.org
Address/Location:
One Capitol Square, 8th Floor, room 816
830 E. Main Street
Richmond, VA 23219
Undergraduate Education
- BS - Aviation Business Administration, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University 1988
Graduate Education
- PhD - Public Health Nutrition, College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resource Sciences, Department of Food Science and Nutrition; School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, 2009
- MHS (Master in Health Science) - Public Health Nutrition, Division of International Health, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 2004
- MBA - T. Paul College of Business and Economics, University of New Hampshire 1991
Post Graduate Education
- Research Associate, Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota 2010 - 2013
- Research Associate, Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota 2013 - 2015
Research Expertise
- Prevention of excess weight and chronic disease through lifestyle changes including healthful eating and physical activity, especially among minority and immigrant children and families; understanding personal, behavioral, and environmental factors that contribute to disparities in nutrition and chronic disease and developing community engaged nutrition interventions that meet the unique needs of underserved populations; effects of nutrition interventions on systemic inflammation, post-traumatic stress disorder, and cognitive decline.
Teaching Expertise
- Child & Adolescent Nutrition
Dental Nutrition
Applications of Nutrition Research Literature
Planning, Monitoring, Evaluating and Funding Nutrition Policies and Programs
Food and Nutrition Management
Food Service Operations Management
Keywords & Interest Areas
- Community nutrition interventions
- Overweight/obesity & chronic disease
- Qualitative research
- Quantitative research
- Health disparities
- Community based participatory research (CBPR)
Awards & Honors
- NIH-Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Program for Health Disparities Research, 2012-2014 2012
- University wide Outstanding Postdoctoral Scholar Award - University of Minnesota, 2012
- CDC Pre-Doctoral Fellow - Adolescent Health Protection Program, University of Minnesota, 2005-2008 2005
- American Red Cross Presidential Scholar – Diversity Champion, 2002
- 1st prize poster award, Health Equity Conference, Minneapolis, MN
Arcan C, Hannan PJ, Himes HJ, Fulkerson AJ, Holy Rock B, Smyth M, Story M. “American Indian parents’ assessment and concern of their kindergarten child’s weight status, South Dakota, 2005-2006” 2005
Professional Affiliations
- International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA)
- The Obesity Society
- American Public Health Association
Selected Peer Reviewed Publications:
- Zhang Y, Yang J, Hou W, Arcan C. Obesity Trends and Associations with Types of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior in US Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2016. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2021Jan;29(1)240-250. 2016
- Arcan C, Davey C, LaRowe TL, Nanney MS. Provider-Selected Training Needs and Associations With Related Practices in Childcare Settings in Minnesota and Wisconsin. J Sch Health. 2020 Nov;90(11):869-877 2020
- Gong JH., Lo K., Liu Q., Li J., Lai .S, Shadyab AH., Arcan C., Snetselaar L., Liu S. Dietary Manganese, Plasma Markers of Inflammation, and the Development of Type 2 Diabetes in Postmenopausal Women: Findings From the Women's Health Initiative. Diabetes Care. 2020 Jun;43(6):1344-1351. 2020
- Kim D, Hou W, Wang F, Arcan C. Factors Affecting Obesity and Waist Circumference Among US Adults. NHANES 2013-2014. Prev Chronic Dis. 2019 Jan 3;16:E02. 2019
- Arcan C, Friend S, Flattum CF, Story M, Fulkerson JA. Fill "half your child's plate with fruits and vegetables": Correlations with food-related practices and the home food environment. Appetite. 2019 Feb 1;133:77-82. 2019
- Kim D, Wang F, Arcan C. Geographic Association Between Income Inequality and Obesity Among Adults in New York State. Prev Chronic Dis. 2018 Oct 11;15:E123. 2018
- Arcan C, Culhane-Pera KA, Pergament S, Rosas-Lee M, and Xiong MB. Somali, Latino, and Hmong Parents’ Perceptions and Approaches about Raising Healthy Weight Children: A Community-Based Participatory Research Study. Public Health Nutr. 2017; 14:1-15 01/2015
- Arcan C, Larson L, Berge J, Bauer K, Story M, Neumark-Sztainer D. Dietary and weight-related behaviors and body mass index among White, Hispanic, Hmong, and Somali adolescents. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2014 Mar;114(3):375-83 2014
- Arcan C, Hannan PJ, Himes HJ, Fulkerson AJ, Holy Rock B, Smyth M, Story M. Intervention effects on kindergarten and first grade teachers’ classroom and school food practices and beliefs in American Indian reservation schools. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013;113(8):1076-83. 2013
- Arcan C, Katherine Murray. The Intersection of Adolescent Development with Eating Behaviors and Physical Activity. Adolescent Medicine: State of the Art Reviews. 2012;23(3):411-423 2012
Books, Book Chapters, & Monographs:
- Book Chapter:
Arcan C, Bruening M, Story M. “Television (TV) and TV Advertisement Influences on Child Eating Behaviour” in Encyclopedia on Early Childhood Development, produced by the Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (CEECD) and the Strategic Knowledge Cluster on ECD (SKC-ECD), Editors: Richard E Tremblay, Michel Boivin and Ray DeV. Peters. 2012 2012
Non-Peer Reviewed:
- Media Press
“Schools see breakfast as key to better learning” MPR News Update (May 2014). http://www.mprnews.org/story/2014/05/09/school-breakfast, 2014
“What goes into an Olympic diet” Featured in YouTube video developed by the University of Minnesota, Academic Health Center. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiszAnSEJls, 2012 2012