Amy Sato

Graduate Areas: 

• Clinical - Child
• Clinical - Health

Does Dr. Sato plan to recruit a doctoral student for the next incoming class?

Specialty: 

Child and Adolescent, Health

Research Interests:

Our research focuses on pediatric obesity and healthy weight management in children and adolescents. Current research projects are focused on (1) the development of a mindfulness-informed weight management intervention for adolescents within a randomized controlled trial framework, (2) the influence of stress (e.g., stress hormones, family stress) on adolescent eating and weight management, (3) the role of family influences (e.g., parenting) for promoting healthy weight management, and (4) health disparities (e.g., low-income) in the context of health risk and intervention. We collaborate with the Akron Children's Hospital Division of Adolescent Medicine and the Healthy Active Living Program, an interdisciplinary pediatric weight management program, to conduct research aimed at understanding factors that influence childhood maladaptive eating behavior, obesity risk and pediatric weight control intervention.

Lab Site:  Child Health Lab

Publications:

Peer-Reviewed Articles
*Indicates Kent State graduate student mentored by Dr. Sato

• *Ruzicka, E. B., *Darling, K. E., & Sato, A.F. (In Press) Controlling child feeding practices and child weight: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews.
• *Darling, K. E., *Ruzicka, E. B., *Fahrenkamp, A. J., & Sato, A. F. (2019). Perceived stress and obesity-promoting eating behaviors in adolescence: The role of parent-adolescent conflict. Families, Systems, and Health, 37(1), 62-67.
• *Fahrenkamp, A. J., *Darling, K. E., *Ruzicka, E. B., & Sato, A. F. (2018). Maternal depressive symptoms mediate the association between socio-economic status and adolescent weight outcomes: A longitudinal analysis. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 22(10), 1462-1469.
• *Darling, K. E., Sato, A. F, van Dulmen, M., Flessner, C., & Putt, G. (2018). Development of a measure to assess parent perceptions of barriers to healthy child weight management. Childhood Obesity, 14, 89-98.
• *Fahrenkamp, A. J., & Sato, A. F. (2018). Child-specific, maternal, and environmental stressors in the context of adolescent weight outcomes. Children's Health Care, 47(4), 397-415.
• *Ruzicka, E. B., *Darling, K. E., *Fahrenkamp, A. J., & Sato, A.F. (2018) Familial influences on the use of controlling feeding practices with adolescents. Appetite, 127, 155-162.
• *Darling, K. E., *Fahrenkamp, A. J., *Wilson, S. M., D’Auria, A. L., & Sato, A. F. (2017). Physical and mental health outcomes associated with prior food insecurity among young adults. Journal of Health Psychology, 22(5), 572-581.
• *Darling, K. E., & Sato, A. F. (2017). Systematic review and meta-analysis examining the effectiveness of mobile health technologies in using self-monitoring for pediatric weight management. Childhood Obesity, 13(5), 347-355.
• Sato, A. F., & *Fahrenkamp, A. J. (2016). From Bench to Bedside: Understanding Stress-Obesity Research Within the Context of Translation to Improve Pediatric Behavioral Weight Management. Pediatric Clinics of North America, 63(3), 401-423. PMID: 27261542
• *Wilson, S. M., & Sato, A. F. (2014). Stress and paediatric obesity:  What we know and where to go. Stress and Health, 30, 91-102. Awarded "Paper of the Year," Stress and Health.
• Jelalian, E., Foster, G.D., Sato, A.F., Berlin, K.S., McDermott, C., & Sundal, D. (2014). Treatment adherence and facilitator characteristics in a community based pediatric weight control intervention. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 11(17). doi: 10.1186/1479-5868-11-17 URL: http://www.ijbnpa.org/content/11/1/17
• Jelalian, E., Rancourt, D., & Sato, A.F. (2013). Innovative interventions in pediatric obesity: Commentary and future directions. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 38(9), 1030-1036. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jst072
• Sato, A.F., Kopel, S.J., McQuaid, E.L., Seifer, R., Esteban, C., Coutinho, M.T., Klein, R., Fritz, G.K., & Koinis-Mitchell, D. (2013). The home environment and family asthma management among ethically diverse urban youth with asthma. Families, Systems, and Health.
• Jensen, C., Sato, A.F., McMurtry, M., Hart, C.N., & Jelalian, E. (2012). School nutrition policy: An evaluation of the Rhode Island Healthier Beverages Policy in schools. Infant, Child, & Adolescent Nutrition, 4(5), 276-282.
• Lloyd Richardson, E.E., Jelalian, E., Sato, A. F., Hart, C. N., Mehlenbeck, R., & Wing, R. R. (2012).  Two-year follow-up of an adolescent behavioral weight control intervention. Pediatrics, 130(2), e281-288. PMCID 3408687
• Koinis-Mitchell, D., Sato, A. F., Kopel, S. J.,  McQuaid, E. L.,  Seifer, R.,  Klein, R. B., Esteban, C. A.., Lobato, D.,  Ortega, A. N.,  Canino, G., & Fritz, G. K. (2011).  Immigration and Acculturation-Related Factors and Asthma Morbidity in Latino Children.  Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36(10), 1130-1143.
• Jelalian, E, Sato, A. F., & Hart, C.N. (2011).  The effect of group-based weight control intervention on adolescent psychosocial outcomes: Perceived peer rejection, social anxiety and self-concept. Children's Health Care, 40(3), 197-211.
• Sato, A. F., Jelalian, E., Hart, C. N., Lloyd-Richardson, E. E., Mehlenbeck, R. S. & Neill, M. (2011).  Associations between Parent Behavior and Adolescent Weight Control.  Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 36(4), 451-460.
• Sato, A. F. & Jelalian, E. (2010).  Outpatient Multidisciplinary Interventions for the Treatment of Pediatric Obesity 2009:  Practical Suggestions from Lessons Learned. Obesity and Weight Management, 6(1), 31-34.