The University of Massachusetts Amherst
Sofiya Alhassan

Sofiya Alhassan

Professor and Graduate Program Director, Kinesiology

Community family-based physical activity interventions

Location

Totman Building

30 Eastman Lane
Amherst, MA 01003
United States

108 Totman

My current research interest is in using physical activity in the prevention of pediatric obesity. In particular, the utilization of community family-based physical activity interventions to reduce early onset cardiovascular disease risk factors (obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus) in ethnic-minority children. My research agenda also includes examining: (1) physical activity policy-base intervention in preschool-age children, (2) environmental and media influence on various health behaviors in ethnic-minority populations, and (3) after-school family-base intervention to improve physiological (obesity and diabetes risk), psychosocial, and academic performance of minority pre-adolescents.

Research Lab Website:

Pediatric Physical Activity Lab

Education

  • Postdoctoral Fellowship, Stanford University School of Medicine
  • PhD, Auburn University, 2004
  • MS, Auburn University, 2000
  • BS, Stetson University, 1996

Key Publications

Alhassan, S., Sirard, J., & Robinson, T. The effects of increasing outdoor playtime on physical activity in Latino preschool children. International Journal of Pediatric Obesity, 2007, 2: 153-158.

Alhassan, S. & Robinson, TN. Objectively measured physical activity and cardiovascular disease risk factors in African-American girls. Ethnicity & Disease, 2008 Autumn; 18(4):421-426.

Alhassan, S. & Robinson, TN. Defining accelerometer thresholds for physical activity in girls using ROC analysis. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2010: 7(1): 45-53.

Alhassan, S., Nwaokelemeh, O., Goldsby, T. Lyden, K., & Mendoza, A. The effects of additional structured outdoor playtime on preschoolers physical activity level. Child Care in Practice (In Press).

Alhassan, S., Nwaokelemeh, O, Ghazarian, M., Roberts, J., Mendoza, A., & Shitole, S. Effect of locomotor-base physical activity program on minority preschoolers physical activity level. Pediatric Exercise Science (In Press).

University of Massachusetts Amherst