Faculty

faculty photo
Donna B. Johnson
Associate Professor
Nutrition is a major determinant of health. In order to take advantage of the potential of nutrition to enhance quality of life and the health of the population we must continue to explore effective methods of nutrition promotion.

PhD  
University of Washington, 1995
Nutritional Science
MS  
Syracuse University, 1979
Nutrition
BS  
Iowa State University, 1973
Nutrition

Department of Health Services Program Affiliations:
  -  Maternal and Child Health Track, (MPH program)

Professor Johnson is also affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Program in Nutritional Sciences and is Associate Director of the Center for Public Health Nutrition. She has a focus on public health nutrition practice, and works closely with state and local health departments on planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health nutrition programs. Dr. Johnson is an investigator at the CDC funded Health Promotion Research Center.

Contact Information
(office)  306B, Raitt Hall
Interdisciplinary Program in Nutritional Sciences
Box:  353410
Seattle, WA 98195
(voice)  206-685-1068     (fax)  206-685-1696
djohn@u.washington.edu
Teaching Interests
maternal and child nutrition, public health/community nutrition
Research Interests
pediatric nutrition, efficacy of public health nutrition interventions, public health approaches to obesity
Projects
Policy Nutrition and Legislation: What works to improve student health? (PLAN)
A three year research grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study the impact of changes in school nutrition policies in Washington middle schools.
Washington Active Bodies Active Minds (WAABAM)
Development, dissemination and evaluation of resources to ensure that environments for children ages 2-5 encourage minimum screen time and maximum physical activity
Partnership with the Washington State Department of Health for Nutrition and Physical Activity in Prevention of Obesity
Implementation and evaluation of the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan through ongoing efforts of multi-sectoral partners and targeted initiatives in five Healthy Communities.
External Funding (sampling of current and past involvement)
Health Promotion Research Center
Centers for Disease Control
PI:   Harris           Dates:    09/2004 - 09/2009
The Health Promotion Research Center improves health by conducting high quality prevention research that empasizes healthy aging and can be incorporated into community practice.

Special Interest Project Competitive Supplements
Centers for Disease Control
PI:   Harris           Dates:    09/2007 - 09/2009
The Health Promotion Research Center is one of the CDC-funded Prevention Research centers in the US. This proposal is in response to the CDC's annual Special Interest Project RFA related to the Prevention Research Centers.

Policy Legislation and Nutrition (PLAN): What Works to Improve Student Health?
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    06/2006 - 06/2009
The PLAN study will take advantage of the natural experiment provided by Washington State SB 5436 that requires all school districts to develop school nutrition policies to examine the process of school nutrition policy development and implementation. The purpose of this study is to identify successful strategies that lead from policy legislation to healthful school nutrition environments to better student diets.

Unplugged and Media Savvy: Reducing the Impact of Screen Time
National Institutes of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    06/2007 - 05/2009
Unplugged and media savvy is a comprehensive, multilevel intervention to reduce sedentary behavior and improve dietary intake in children.

The Relationship Between Non-Parental Child Care and Children's Overweight/Obesity Outcomes during a Critical Development Period
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
PI:   Maher           Dates:    07/2006 - 12/2008
The goal of this project is to examine the association between participation in different types of non-parental child care settings and children's OW/OB outcomes during the adiposity rebound.

Washington State Obesity Prevention
WA State Department of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    07/2005 - 06/2008
This contract will provide assessment, surveillance, and evaluation functions for the Washington State Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Risk Reduction Unit.

Partners in Excellence for Leadership in MCH Nutrition
University of California - Los Angeles
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    07/2003 - 09/2007
The goal of this project is to recruit, train, and mentor one MPH in nutrition trainee each year and supervise the trainee's leadership project and fieldwork.

SIP 05-04 Establishment of a Physical Activity Policy Research Network
Centers for Disease Control
PI:   Doescher           Dates:    09/2004 - 09/2007
The HPRC Physical Activity Policy Research Network (PAPN) is a collaborative group that works locally and nationally to understand policies related to physical activity in communities.

Lab to Leadership: An Exploratory Center for Obesity Research
National Institutes of Health
PI:   Drewnowski           Dates:    09/2004 - 07/2007
This exploratory center for obesity research will address biomedical, public health, and policy aspects of the obesity epidemic.

Infant Overfeeding in Immigrant Families
National Institutes of Health
PI:   Doescher           Dates:    09/2005 - 05/2007
The purpose of this exploratory study is to develop and test a curriculum for teaching pediatric primary care providers to address caregiver's infant nutrition practices.

Training for Public Health Nutrition
WA State Department of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    07/2000 - 06/2006
To continue to train public health nutritionists on the uses of distance learning and communication techniques; to support the work of the Northwest Obesity Prevention Project; to continue to update the Community Nutrition Assessment web page; and to continue to build an infrastructure for public health nutrition.

Impact of a Non-Commercialism Policy in Seattle Schools
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    09/2002 - 05/2006
This pilot study will assess and evaluate obesity-related health outcomes of a real-life policy decision voted on and adopted by the Seattle School Board to free the school environment from commercial pressures.

Breastfeeding in Moses Lake, WA: An Evaluation of Policy and Environmental Approaches
National Institutes of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    10/2003 - 09/2005
This pilot study will evaluate a project to promote and support breastfeeding through policy and environmental changes in Moses Lake, WA.

Washington State Obesity Prevention
WA State Department of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    07/2004 - 06/2005
This contract will provide assessment, surveillance, and evaluation functions for the Washington State Department of Health, focusing on the primary and secondary prevention of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity through the common risk factors of nutrition and physical activity.

State Obesity Prevention
WA State Department of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    06/2003 - 12/2004
This project will provide assessment, surveillance and evaluation functions for the Washington State Department of Health, Chronic Disease Prevention and Risk Reduction Unit.

Revitalizing WIC Nutrition Services
WA State Department of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    10/2000 - 09/2003
To revitalize quality WIC nutrition services in Washington through local capacity building, technical assistance, provision of nutrition education resources, opportunities for collaboration with existing efforts to ensure consistent nutrition messages, and financial support that will stimulate development of local innovative programs.

PRC Physical Activity and Nutrition Network to Prevent Obesity
Centers for Disease Control
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    09/2000 - 09/2003
Expansion of P.I.s current work on the NW Obesity Prevention Project and the WA State Coalition for Physical Activity. New emphasis added on environment as well as adolescents and women of color.

PRC Network for Innovative Nutrition and Physical Activity Approaches to Prevent Obesity
Centers for Disease Control
PI:   LoGerfo           Dates:    09/2000 - 09/2003
The Washington State Department of Health has subcontracted with the University of Washington for evaluation and strategic planning services pertaining to the DOH "Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs to Prevent Obesity and Related Chronic Diseases".

Obesity Intervention Evaluation
WA State Department of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    07/2001 - 06/2002
Washington State DOH has subcontracted with UW for evaluation and strategic planning services pertaining to the DOH "Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs to Prevent Obesity and Related Chronic Diseases". This supplement funds Donna Johnson's participation.

Nutrition Training
WA State Department of Health
PI:   Johnson           Dates:    11/1999 - 06/2000
Training in good early nutrition practices for mothers and infants.


Selected Publications

Johnson DB, Evens C, Pickering S. Promoting Family Meals in WIC: Lessons Learned from a Statewide Initiative. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2006 May-Jun;38(3):177-82.

Smith LT, Johnson DB, Lamson E, Sitaker M. A framework for developing evaluation tools used in Washington State's Healthy Communities projects. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2006 Apr. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/apr/05_0097.htm

Johnson DB, Smith LT. Testing the recommendations of the Washington State Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan: The Moses Lake case study. Prev Chronic Dis [serial online] 2006 Apr]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2006/apr/05_0096.htm

Johnson DB , Gerstein DE, Evans AE, Woodward-Lopez G. Preventing obesity: A life cycle perspective. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006 Jan; 106(1):97-102.

Johnson DB, Birkett D, Evens C, Pickering S. Statewide intervention to reduce television viewing in WIC clients and staff. Am J Health Promot. 2005 Jul-Aug;19(6):418-21

Birkett D, Johnson DB, Oberg D, Thompson J. Reaching Low Income Families: Focus Group Results Provide Direction for a Behavioral Approach to WIC Services. J Am Diet Assoc.104:1277-1280. 2004.

Johnson DB , Beaudoin S, Smith LT, Beresford SAA, LoGerfo JP. Increasing fruit and vegetable intake in homebound elders: the Seattle Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Pilot Program. Preventing Chronic Disease [serial online] 2004 Jan [date cited]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2004/jan/pdf/03_00010a.pdf

Smith LT, Johnson DB, Beaudoin S, Monsen ER, LoGerfo JP. Qualitative assessment of participant utilization and satisfaction with the Seattle Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Pilot Program. Preventing Chronic Disease [serial online] 2004 Jan [date cited]. Available from: http://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2004/jan/pdf/03_0010b.pdf

Dissertation, Thesis and Capstone Committees (recent graduates)
2006
Chair, thesis committee for Laura Gottlieb
Food insecurity and obesity in Spanish and English-speaking WIC clients: An analysis of King County WIC food insecurity survey data 2003

2006
Chair, thesis committee for Mariah Martin
Family public health clinics implementing a physical activity group: A feasibility assessment


Links
Center for Public Health Nutrition
Active Bodies Active Minds - Minimize Screen Time, Maximize Health
Partners in Action - Nutrition & Physical Activity in Washington
Healthy Schools in Washington - Resources for enhancing the nutrition and physical activity environment for our students