Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center

Elissa Jelalian, PhD

Associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior at theWarren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Research Interests

Jelalian’s research interests focus on weight regulation and behavioral intervention for overweight children and adolescents. She is the continuing recipient of grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases evaluating weight control interventions for overweight adolescents.

Her current research investigates the innovative application of adventure therapy and behavioral intervention to adolescent weight control. She is also co-investigator on a National Institute of Child Health and Adolescent Development study evaluating the efficacy of an intervention targeting specific health behaviors in overweight preschool and young school age children. A long-range aim of her programmatic research is to understand the individual, family, and contextual variables that are related to treatment outcome in pediatric weight control interventions.

Selected Research Projects

Evaluation of an Internet Intervention for Overweight Adolescents.
The primary aim of this project is to compare the efficacy of Cognitive Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment enhanced by Internet Intervention (I-CBT) to a Cognitive Behavioral Weight Loss Treatment alone.

Changing Eating Behaviors in Young Children: Should Healthy Foods be Increased or Unhealthy Foods Decreased?
The goal of this study is to develop an intervention for young children who are overweight or at risk of overweight to improve eating patterns by either focusing on foods to increase or decrease in the diet.

Childhood Obesity Treatment Targeting Specific Behaviors.
The goal of this study is to develop an intervention for young children who are overweight or at risk for overweight to improve eating and activity patterns by focusing on increasing physical activity and decreasing sweetened drink consumption or decreasing TV watching and increasing milk consumption.

Honors

Editorial Board, Journal of Pediatric Psychology ( 2003 to present)

Selected Publications

Jelalian, E., Spirito, A., Rasile, D., & Nobile, C. (2001). Behavioral factors associated with self-reported injury in young adolescent males, International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health, 13, 155-167.

Jelalian, E., & Mehlenbeck, R. (2002). Peer-enhanced weight management treatment for overweight adolescents: Some preliminary findings. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 9, 15-23 .

Powers, S.W., Patton, S.R., Byars, K.C., Mitchell, M.J., Jelalian, E., Mulvihill, M.M., Hovell, M.F., & Stark, L.J. (2002). Calorie intake and eating behavior in infants and toddlers with cystic fibrosis. Pediatrics, 109, e75.

Saelens, B., Jelalian, E., & Kukene, D. (2002). Primary care weight-related counseling for adolescents. Clinical Pediatrics, 41, 575-585.

Jelalian, E., Boergers, J., Alday, S., & Frank, R. (2003). Survey of physician attitudes and practices related to pediatric obesity. Clinical Pediatrics, 42, 235-245.

Stark, L.J., Opipari, L. C., Spieth, L. E., Jelalian, E., Quittner, A.L., et al. (2003). Contribution of behavior therapy to dietary treatment in cystic fibrosis: a randomized controlled study with two-year follow-up. Behavior Therapy, 34, 237-258.

Stark, L.J., Opipari, L.C., Jelalian, E., Powers, S.W., Janicke, D.M., Mulvihill, M.M., & Hovell, M.F. (2005). Child behavior and parent management strategies at mealtimes in families with a school-age child with cystic fibrosis. Health Psychology, 24, 274-280.

Powers, S., Mitchell, M.J., Patton, S.R., Byars, K.C., Jelalian, E.J., et al., (2005). Mealtime behaviors in families of infants and toddlers with CF Journal of Cystic Fibrosis, 4, 175-182.

Jelalian, E., Mehlenbeck, R., Richardson, E., Birmaher, V., & Wing, R.R. (In press). “Adventure therapy” combined with cognitive behavioral treatment for overweight adolescents, International Journal of Obesity.

Jelalian, E., Wember, Y.M., Bungeroth, H., & Birmaher, V. (In press). Practitioner Review: Bridging the Gap Between Empirically Supported Interventions and Treatment of Children and Adolescents with Psychiatric Co-morbidities. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Find out more: Please contact us for more information about the center and our research.

Back | Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center