Behavioral Science

Nancy E. Schoenberg, Ph.D.

125 Medical Behavioral Science Building
Phone: (859) 323-8175
e-mail: nesch@uky.edu

Research Description

Dr. Schoenberg’s research interests address the long-term health and care needs of middle aged and older adults particularly those populations that suffer the greatest health inequities. Dr. Schoenberg, a medical anthropologist, maintains research interests in community-based participatory interventions, explanatory models of chronic diseases and their prevention and management, self-care decision-making and formal health care use, and qualitative and complementary methodology. Her research projects include a study of lifestyle management of rural women with diabetes and coronary heart disease; an investigation of the determinants of adherence to dietary recommendations among African-American elders with hypertension; ethnographic approaches toward cardiac decision-making; survey research into the characteristics associated with elders at risk of inadequate nutritional intake; and in-depth interviews on determinants of cancer screening. Dr. Schoenberg’s current projects include several faith-based lay health advisor interventions to prevent cancer (lung, cervical, colorectal, and breast) and an intergenerational diet-exercise program. In addition, Dr. Schoenberg and colleagues are examining how older adults, their caregivers, and health care providers manage complex multiple morbidities.  Throughout Dr. Schoenberg's work, there is an emphasis on the cultural context of health decisions and community-based participatory approaches.

2011 Accomplishments

In 2011, Dr. Schoenberg and colleagues published 9 peer reviewed manuscripts, have another 9 article in press, have prepared another 5 articles that are under review, and have made 10 state, national or international presentations. Much of the focus of this year, however, continues to be oriented toward conducting fieldwork and providing leadership to the three extramurally-funded research projects for which she serves as PI. These include Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening for Patients with Multiple Morbidities (R21 CA129881); Faith Moves Mountains: A CBPR Appalachian Wellness & Cancer Prevention Program (R24 MD002757); and An Intergenerational CBPR Intervention to Reduce Appalachian Health Disparities (R01 DK081324). We completed our data collection this year on an ARRA supplement to the R01 DK081324 entitled Assessment of Physical Activity—a Comparison of Three Methods. We are currently analysing those data and are starting to present and write up our fndings. Additionally, Dr. Schoenberg and her colleague from The Ohio State University, Dr. Mira Katz, have initiated a new project entitled Leveraging Social Networks to Increase Cancer Screening in Appalachia, sponsored by the Centers for Clinical and Translational Science, National Center For Research Resources. Finally, Dr. Schoenberg serves as a co-director, Community Engagement Core for the newly funded Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (UL1RR033173). To undertake these projects, Dr. Schoenberg frequently travels to her field offices in beautiful Eastern Kentucky.  Dr. Schoenberg also serves as co-PI or co-investigator on several additional NIH, HRSA,  or CDC-sponsored projects.  Dr. Schoenberg continues to serve in various mentoring roles, service and leadership capacities.  Dr. Schoenberg currently serves as a mentor on an NCI K award to a College of Nursing faculty member; as a CATalyst for the CCTS; and as a mentor/advisor to 14 junior faculty at The University of Arkansas; West Virginia University, Medical College of Wisconsin, University of Alaska, Wake Forest University, University of Connecticut, The Ohio State University, and The University of Kentucky. Dr. Schoenberg also currently serves on five doctoral committees and provides research opportunities for several medical students.  Within the university, Dr. Schoenberg has been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Cancer Prevention and Control Program of the Markey Cancer Center; as a member, American Cancer Society’s Institutional Research Grant Review; and on the College of Medicine’s Appointment, Promotions, and Tenure Committee.  Outside of the university, Dr. Schoenberg serves as a President’s Professor at the University of Alaska/Fairbanks/ Center for Alaska Native Health Research and as a research collaborator at the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences/VA. Dr. Schoenberg serves as the Associate Editor for The Gerontologist where she was the decision editor in 2011 on over 90 manuscripts. She serves as a standing member of the NIH’s Community Level Health Promotion IRG and serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Society for Applied Anthropology.

Research Funding

Principal Investigator, “An Intergenerational Intervention to Reduce Appalachian Health Disparities.”National Institutes of Health/ NIDDK. R01 DK081324.  10/08-9/13.

Principal Investigator, “Faith Moves Mountains: A CBPR Appalachian Wellness & Cancer Prevention Program.” National Institutes of Health/ National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities. R24 MD002757. 8/08-2/13.

Principal Investigator, “Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening for Patients with Multiple Morbidities.” National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute. R21CA129881-01   5/08-4/10.

Principal Investigator, “An Appalachian Cervical Cancer Prevention Project.” National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute/National Institute on Aging, R01 CA108696-01 9/04-9/09.

Co-Principal Investigator,” Increasing Colorectal Cancer Screening in Rural Kentucky.” National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute, R01 CA113932 4/05-3/10.

Principal Investigator for UK Site, National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute, “Appalachian Community Cancer Network.” U01 CA114622-01 5/05-4/10.

Co- Principal Investigator, “Patient Navigation for Cervical Cancer in Appalachia.” National Institutes of Health/ National Cancer Institute (PI: Mark Dignan). R01 CA120606. 4/06-3/11.

Co-Investigator, Prevention Research Center. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 5/1/05- 9/29/10.

Co-Investigator, “Kentucky Cancer Prevention and Control Training Program” 5 R25 CA098220-03. 7/05-6/10.

Representative Publications

Schoenberg, N.E., Hatcher, J., Dignan, M.B. Appalachian women’s perceptions of their community’s health threats. Journal of Rural Health. 24(1): 75-83, 2008.

Traywick, L.S., Schoenberg, N.E. Determinants of Exercise among Female Heart Attack Survivors. Journal of Applied Gerontology. 27 (1): 52-77, 2008.

Schoenberg, N. E., Kim, H., Edwards, W., Fleming, S.T. The burden of multiple morbidities on out-of-pocket medical expenditures among older adults. The Gerontologist. 47 (4): 423-437, 2007.

Leach, C.R., Schoenberg, N.E. The vicious cycle of inadequate early detection: A complementary study on barriers to cervical cancer screening among middle aged and older women Preventing Chronic Disease. 4(4), 2007.

Hatcher, J, Schoenberg, N.E.  Human subjects protection training for community workers: An example from the Appalachian Cervical Cancer Prevention Project. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education and Action. 3 (1): 257-265, 2007.

Schoenberg, N.E., Hopenhayn, C., Christian, A., Knight, E., Rubio, A. An in-depth and updated perspective on determinants of cervical cancer screening among central Appalachian women. Journal of Women and Health, 42 (2): 89-105, 2006

Schoenberg, N.E., Amey, C.H., Stoller, E.P.& Drew, E.M. The Pivotal Role of Cardiac Self-Care in Treatment Timing. Social Science and Medicine. Medicine 60: 1047-1060, 2005.

Schoenberg, N.E., Peters, J., Drew, E.M. Unraveling the mysteries of timing: Emically-derived explanations for time to treatment for women with cardiac symptoms. Social Science and Medicine, 56: 271-284, 2003

Schoenberg, N.E., Amey, C.H., Stoller, E.P., Muldoon, S.B. Lay referral patterns involved in cardiac treatment seeking among middle-aged and older adults. The Gerontologist, 43(4): 493-502, 2003.

Schoenberg, N.E., Drew, E.M. Articulating silence: experiential certitude and biomedical controversies over hypertension symptomatology. Medical Anthropology Quarterly, 16(4): 458-75, 2002.
Rowles, G.D., Schoenberg, N.E. Qualitative Gerontology. New York, Springer Publishers, 2002