Welcome

In the United States, approximately 7.3% of children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 18 have a health condition that limits their daily functioning or quality of life.1  That’s about 1 out of every 14 youth.  For many, compromised health and quality of life is a function not only of biological processes, but also of interactions between biology, behavior, and the environment. 

As part of the KU Clinical Child Psychology Program, the Pediatric Health Promotion and Maintenance Lab is dedicated to the application of behavioral science to promote child and adolescent health. The lab is organized and directed by Dr. Ric Steele, a member of the faculty of the Clinical Child Psychology doctoral graduate program at the University of Kansas.  Dr. Steele’s program of research is broadly concerned with the promotion of physical and mental health in children, adolescents, and families across a continuum of health risk categories.  Although Dr. Steele sometimes conducts and directs research on other health conditions, his current research focus seeks to develop and evaluate methods to promote weight related health, good nutrition, and exercise in children and adolescents.  Be sure to visit the current projects page to learn more about our clinical trial of an obesity treatment program.   Or, visit our recent research presentations page to stay up-to-date on some of the early results from various studies within the lab.

The links on the left of this page will guide you through the pages of this website, which is designed to give you an introduction to the lab, and the various projects that keep us busy.  Please contact us if you have questions about the lab, or about the various projects that we are conducting. 

References
1.  National Center for Health Statistics. (2007). Chartbook on Trends in the Health of Americans. Table 58: Limitation of activity caused by chronic conditions, by selected characteristics: United States, selected years 1997–2006. Hyattsville, Md: National Center for Health Statistics.