Research and News from the Center for Families at Purdue University

August 5, 2024

Understanding transportation-related health determinants and their interrelationships in rural U.S.

Jorge Banda

Transportation and health are undeniably related topics. Transportation choices impact our physical and mental health, affecting our activity levels and access to different opportunities.

August 5, 2024

Couples in breast cancer survivorship: Daily associations in relationship satisfaction, stress, and health

Rosie Shrout

Romantic relationships are a key health determinant underlying both morbidity and mortality. Dr. Janice Kiecolt-Glaser’s prolific research revealed cardiovascular, metabolic, endocrine, and immune pathways connecting marriage to health and longevity.

August 5, 2024

The role of parents’ ability mindsets in parent–child interactions during math and reading activities

Sarah Eason

Parents can be instrumental in promoting young children’s early mathematics and literacy skills. However, differences in parents’ beliefs can influence their behavior during parent–child interactions.

August 5, 2024

The Influence of Service Dog Partnerships on Perceived and Objective Sleep Quality for Military Veterans with PTSD

A.J. Schwichtenberg

Sleep disturbances, fear of sleep, and nightmares are among the most reported symptoms for military service members and veterans (henceforth “veterans”) with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), potentially contributing to treatment resistance and heightened suicidality. Despite available evidence-based interventions, many veterans...

August 4, 2024

Health of the Forces initiative provides research-driven solutions that address challenges across human health and well-being

Developed by Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) and Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) with support from the Purdue University Office of Research, aims to add to these innovations by providing Purdue faculty with the support needed...

August 2, 2024

Religious Involvement and Cognitive Function Among White, Black, and Hispanic Older Adults

Patricia Thomas

We examined whether religious involvement was associated with cognitive function among older adults in the 2006–2020 waves of the Health and Retirement Study.

August 1, 2024

Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: Implications for Nurse Practitioners

Karen Foli

The foster care system in the United States was designed to provide a safe and temporary environment for children without parents available to care for them because of death, disability, substance use, incarceration, or when they are deemed to be...

August 1, 2024

More than a side-hustle: Satisfaction with conventional and microtask work and the association with life satisfaction

Jeremy Reynolds

Gig platforms promise attractive, flexible ways to earn supplemental income. Academics, however, often describe gig work as low-quality work, suggesting that it is less satisfying than conventional work.

August 1, 2024

Patterns of individual differences in executive functions for preschoolers from low-income backgrounds: Associations with pre-academic skills

David Purpura

Primarily studying executive functions of children from low-income backgrounds in comparison to more affluent peers can promote a deficit perspective that they are uniformly lacking in skills.

July 31, 2024

Researchers create online tool to research the four-day school week

Elizabeth Day

Growing adoption of a four-day school week in many communities across the United States is raising questions about this trend in education.