Research
My research focuses broadly on the social determinants of health and dietary choices. I am interested in how attitudes and behaviours related to eating, cooking, food selection, body image and body weight status are shaped by socio-cultural and neighbourhood-level factors. My research is shaped by my background as a registered dietitian and fuses methods and theory from nutrition education, public health, sociology and geography.
Some of my recent and forthcoming research projects include:
- Examining the connections between school food programs and the food environment with students’ dietary practices and well-being.
- Working with local food banks to examine the experiences of food insecurity among food bank members
- Assessing the relations between neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status, demographic factors, land use and access to food in British Columbia.
- Examining trends and the social determinants of dietary choices and health outcomes using national health surveys such as the Canadian Community Health Survey.
- Mapping food access and opportunities and barriers to physical activity in New York City.
Recent Teaching
- FNH 398 Research Methods in Human Nutrition
- HUNU 505 Current Issues in Applied Human Nutrition
- FNH 371 Nutrition Across the Lifespan
- LFS 150 Scholarly Writing and Argumentation in Land and Food Systems
- LFS 350 Land, Food, and Community II
- FNH Graduate Seminar
Education
Selected Publications
Minaker L.M., Shuh A., Olstad D.L., Engler-Stringer R., Black J.L., Mah C.L. 2016. Retail food environments research in Canada: A Scoping Review. Can J Public Health. 107(S1): eS4 – eS13. doi: 10.17269/CJPH.107.5344
Black, J.L. and Billette, J.M. 2015.Fast Food Intake in Canada: Examining Differences among Canadians with Diverse Demographic, Socioeconomic and Lifestyle Characteristics. Can J Public Health. p. 106(2):e52-e58. doi: 10.17269/CJPH.106.4658
Black J.L., Velazquez C.E., Ahmadi N., Chapman G. E., Carten S., Edward J., Shulhan S., Stephens T., Rojas A. 2015. Sustainability and public health nutrition at school: assessing the integration of healthy and environmentally sustainable food initiatives in Vancouver schools. Public Health Nutr. p. 1-13.
Yang P.H., Black J.L., Barr S.I., Vatanparast H. 2014. Examining differences in nutrient intake and dietary quality on weekdays versus weekend days in Canada. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab.39(12):1413-7.
Black J.L. 2014. “A Look to the North: Examining Food Environments in Canada” In: Local Food Environments: Food Access in America. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.
Ahmadi N., Black J.L., Velazquez C.E., Chapman G.E. and Veenstra G. 2014 “Associations between socio-economic status and school-day dietary intake in a sample of grade 5-8 students in Vancouver, Canada.” Public Health Nutr. 1-10.
Black, J.L., Dunham, R. and Kafka, T. 2013. “A study of challenges and opportunities for long-term care dietitians in British Columbia.” Can J Diet Pract Res. 74(3): p. 131-7.
Black, J.L. and Billette, J.M. 2013. “Do Canadians meet Canada’s Food Guide’s recommendations for fruits and vegetables?” Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 38(3): p. 234-42.
Black, J.L. and Day, M. 2012. “Availability of Limited Service Food Outlets Surrounding Schools in British Columbia.” Can J Public Health 103(4): 255-259.
Black, J.L. and Veenstra, G. 2011. “A cross-cultural quantitative approach to intersectionality and health: Using intersections between gender, race, class and neighbourhood to predict self-rated health in Toronto and New York City”. In: Health Inequities in Canada: Intersectional Frameworks and Practices. Vancouver: UBC Press; p. 71-91.
Black, J.L., Carpiano, R.M., Fleming, S., Lauster, N. “Exploring the distribution of food stores in British Columbia: Associations with neighbourhood socio-demographic factors and urban form.” Health Place. 2011;17(4):961-970.
Black, J.L. and Macinko, J. 2010. “The Changing Distribution and Determinants of Obesity in the Neighborhoods of New York City, 2003-2007.” American Journal of Epidemiology 171(7):765-775.
Black, J.L., Macinko, J., Dixon, L. B., & Fryer, J. G. E. 2010. “Neighborhoods and obesity in New York City“. Health & Place 16(3):489-99.
Black, J.L., Piñero, Domingo, Parekh Niyati. 2009. ” Zinc and Cognitive Development in Children: Perspectives From International Studies.” Topics in Clinical Nutrition 24(2):130-138.
Black, J.L., and James Macinko. 2008. “Neighborhoods and Obesity.” Nutrition Reviews 66:2-20.
Sasson, L, Jennifer Black, and Sharron Dalton. 2007. “Lessons Learned About Food-Related Attitudes and Behaviors From an Italian Study Abroad Program.” Topics in Clinical Nutrition 22:357-366.