- Overview
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Tamara Cohen, PhD, RD is an Assistant Professor and the Director of Dietetics in the Faculty of Land and Food Systems at UBC. Her laboratory at the UBC Vancouver Campus. Her research program focuses on eating behaviours throughout the lifespan, with the goals of improving dietary habits. To do so, her team bases their research on theoretical frameworks and applies them to the nutrition / dietary context. Her team is also involved in creating nutrition education tools and resources with the goals of educating people about healthy eating and then assessing the tool’s impact on changing diet. In addition, Dr. Cohen supports research out of BC Children’s Hospital Shapedown program, a program intended for families of children living with obesity and Montreal Children’s Hospital Adolescent Medicine Unit, supporting adolescents living with severe obesity who are undergoing bariatric surgery.
Dr. Cohen's research program addresses the following objectives:
-To improve adherence to lifestyle interventions, specifically targeting diet and eating behaviours for individuals (children, adolescents and adults) wanting to change dietary behaviours.
-To develop novel education and dietary assessment tools to improve diet quality throughout the lifespan.
- Publications
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The Longitudinal Evidence on Social Ties and Fruit and Vegetable Intake among Aging Adults: A Systematic Review
Nutrition Reviews
Sanaz Mehranfar and Rana Madani Civi and Riley Plunkett and Rachel A Murphy and Tamara R Cohen and Annalijn I Conklin
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuae134
10/2024Assessing the Suitability of Nutrition Education Resources Among Dietitians on Sugars and Health
SSRN
2024Barriers and facilitators to diet, physical activity and lifestyle behavior intervention adherence: a qualitative systematic review of the literature
International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Deslippe, A.L. and Soanes, A. and Bouchaud, C.C. and Beckenstein, H. and Slim, M. and Plourde, H. and Cohen, T.R.
DOI: 10.1186/s12966-023-01424-2
2023Perceptions of self-monitoring dietary intake according to a plate-based approach: A qualitative study
PLoS ONE
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0294652
2023Changes in Adiposity without Impacting Bone Health in Nine- to Twelve-Year-Old Children with Overweight and Obesity after a One-Year Family-Centered Lifestyle Behavior Intervention
Childhood Obesity
Cohen, T.R. and Mak, I.L. and Loiselle, S.-E. and Kasvis, P. and Hazell, T.J. and Vanstone, C.A. and Rodd, C. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1089/chi.2022.0008
2023A Qualitative Evaluation of a Plate-Method Dietary Self-Monitoring Tool in a Sample of Adults Over 50
Current Developments in Nutrition
DOI: 10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.101975
2023Confronting Colonialism in Canadian Dietetics Curricula
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
DOI: 10.3148/cjdpr-2023-017
2023A qualitative exploration on the needs of health care providers working with adolescents who are undergoing bariatric surgery
Obesity Pillars
DOI: 10.1016/j.obpill.2023.100067
2023SMART goals of children of 6–12 years enrolled in a family-centred lifestyle intervention for childhood obesity: Secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial
Pediatric Obesity
Deslippe, A.L. and Bains, A. and Loiselle, S.-E. and Kasvis, P. and Mak, I. and Weiler, H. and Cohen, T.R.
DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12973
2023Boys and girls differ in their rationale behind eating: a systematic review of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations in dietary habits across countries
Frontiers in Nutrition
DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1256189
2023Body Composition Asymmetry in University Rugby Players: Influence of Sex, Position, and Injury
Journal of Sport Rehabilitation
DOI: 10.1123/jsr.2021-0398
2023Understanding the impact of radical changes in diet and the gut microbiota on brain function and structure: rationale and design of the EMBRACE study
Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases
DOI: 10.1016/j.soard.2023.02.022
2023The Safety and Feasibility of Mediterranean-Ketogenic Dietary Interventions on Gut Health in Parkinson’s Disease: A Protocol for an Open-label, Randomized, Crossover Design Clinical Trial (KIM Trial)
Research Square
DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2626068/v1
2023Body-composition phenotypes and their associations with cardiometabolic risks and health behaviours in a representative general US sample
Preventive Medicine
Kakinami, L. and Plummer, S. and Cohen, T.R. and Santosa, S. and Murphy, J.
DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107282
2022Assessment of Patient Education Materials for Adolescent Bariatric Surgery Candidates: An Environment Scan
SSRN
Wang, Y.N. and Heidl, A.J. and Angeles, P.M. and Farnesi, B.-C. and Alberga, A.S. and Cohen, T.R.
2022Intuitive eating and its association with psychosocial health in adults: A cross-sectional study in a representative Canadian sample
Appetite
Gödde, J.U. and Yuan, T.Y. and Kakinami, L. and Cohen, T.R.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105782
2022Does the 2019 Canada’s Food Guide meet the needs of young athletes?
Nutrition and Health
Heidl, A.J. and Litzenberger, K. and Cohen, T.R. and Plourde, H.
DOI: 10.1177/02601060221093430
2022Associations between Body Composition and Vitamin D Status in Children with Overweight and Obesity Participating in a 1-Year Lifestyle Intervention
Nutrients
Kasvis, P. and Cohen, T.R. and Loiselle, S.?. and Hazell, T.J. and Vanstone, C.A. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.3390/nu14153153
2022Acceptability of a structured diet and exercise weight loss intervention in breast cancer survivors living with an overweight condition or obesity: A qualitative analysis
Cancer Reports
Beckenstein, H. and Slim, M. and Kim, H. and Plourde, H. and Kilgour, R. and Cohen, T.R.
DOI: 10.1002/cnr2.1337
2021Evaluation of the Diet Tracking Smartphone Application Keenoa™: A Qualitative Analysis
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Bouzo, V. and Plourde, H. and Beckenstein, H. and Cohen, T.R.
DOI: 10.3148/cjdpr-2021-022
2021Concurrent Validity of the Adult Eating Behavior Questionnaire in a Canadian Sample
Frontiers in Psychology
Cohen, T.R. and Kakinami, L. and Plourde, H. and Hunot-Alexander, C. and Beeken, R.J.
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.779041
2021Arachidonic acid status negatively associates with forearm bone outcomes and glucose homeostasis in children with an overweight condition or obesity
Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism
Mak, I.L. and Cohen, T.R. and Vanstone, C.A. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2019-0046
2020Validity and usability of a smartphone image-based dietary assessment app compared to 3-day food diaries in assessing dietary intake among canadian adults: Randomized controlled trial
JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Ji, Y. and Plourde, H. and Bouzo, V. and Kilgour, R.D. and Cohen, T.R.
DOI: 10.2196/16953
2020Increased adiposity in children with obesity is associated with low red blood cell omega-3 fatty acid status and inadequate polyunsaturated fatty acid dietary intake
Pediatric Obesity
Mak, I.L. and Cohen, T.R. and Vanstone, C.A. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1111/ijpo.12689
2020Validity and Usability of a Smartphone Image-Based Dietary Assessment App Compared to 3-Day Food Diaries in Assessing Dietary Intake Among Canadian Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)
Yuwei Ji and Hugues Plourde and Valerie Bouzo and Robert D Kilgour and Tamara R Cohen
DOI: 10.2196/preprints.16953
11/2019Changes in eating behavior and plasma leptin in children with obesity participating in a family-centered lifestyle intervention
Appetite
Cohen, T.R. and Hazell, T.J. and Vanstone, C.A. and Rodd, C. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2018.01.017
2018Bone Health is Maintained, While Fat Mass is Reduced in Pre-pubertal Children with Obesity Participating in a 1-Year Family-Centered Lifestyle Intervention
Calcified Tissue International
Cohen, T.R. and Hazell, T.J. and Vanstone, C.A. and Rodd, C. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1007/s00223-017-0318-8
2017Assessment of pedometer accuracy in capturing habitual types of physical activities in overweight and obese children
Pediatric Research
Hazell, T.J. and Ellery, C.V.L. and Cohen, T.R. and Vanstone, C.A. and Rodd, C.J. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1038/pr.2016.133
2016A family-centered lifestyle intervention for obese six-to eight-year-old children: Results from a one-year randomized controlled trial conducted in Montreal, Canada
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Cohen, T.R. and Hazell, T.J. and Vanstone, C.A. and Rodd, C. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.17269/CJPH.107.5470
2016Foot-to-foot bioelectrical impedance accurately tracks direction of adiposity change in overweight and obese 7- to 13-year-old children
Nutrition Research
Kasvis, P. and Cohen, T.R. and Loiselle, S.-T. and Kim, N. and Hazell, T.J. and Vanstone, C.A. and Rodd, C. and Plourde, H. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2014.12.012
2015Depleted iron stores and iron deficiency anemia associated with reduced ferritin and hepcidin and elevated soluble transferrin receptors in a multiethnic group of preschool-age children
Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism
Weiler, H.A. and Jean-Philippe, S. and Cohen, T.R. and Vanstone, C.A. and Agellon, S.
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2014-0328
2015A family-centered lifestyle intervention to improve body composition and bone mass in overweight and obese children 6 through 8 years: A randomized controlled trial study protocol
BMC Public Health
Cohen, T.R. and Hazell, T.J. and Vanstone, C.A. and Plourde, H. and Rodd, C.J. and Weiler, H.A.
DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-383
2013Limiting excess weight gain in healthy pregnant women: importance of energy intakes, physical activity, and adherence to gestational weight gain guidelines.
Journal of pregnancy
Cohen, T.R. and Koski, K.G.
DOI: 10.1155/2013/787032
2013Use of the Pregnancy Physical Activity Questionnaire (PPAQ) to identify behaviours associated with appropriate gestational weight gain during pregnancy.
Journal of physical activity & health
Cohen, T.R. and Plourde, H. and Koski, K.G.
DOI: 10.1123/jpah.10.7.1000
2013Modeling the impact of prepregnancy BMI, physical activity, and energy intake on gestational weight gain, infant birth weight, and postpartum weight retention
Journal of Physical Activity and Health
Montpetit, A.E. and Plourde, H. and Cohen, T.R. and Koski, K.G.
DOI: 10.1123/jpah.9.7.1020
2012Are Canadian women achieving a fit pregnancy? A pilot study
Canadian Journal of Public Health
Cohen, T.R. and Plourde, H. and Koski, K.G.
DOI: 10.1007/bf03405570
2010 - Research
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Working with BC Children’s Hospital Shapedown Program: A 10-week holistic approach to weight management issues for children, adolescents, and their families
Together with Dr. Eli Puterman, our projects are centered around program evaluation which include exploring changes in participant’s health behaviours.Development of a dietary self-monitoring tool that aligns with Canada’s Food Guide
Adherence to changes in diet in the long run are very hard. Self-monitoring, or tracking what you eat, is one method often used to help people eat according to guidelines. This study aims to create a mobile application that mirrors Canada’s Food Guide as a way to help people eat balanced diets.“Protein Cards”: A nutrition education resource to support post-operative nutrition for adolescents living with severe obesity who have undergone bariatric surgery
Bariatric surgery for adolescents living with severe obesity is emerging as a treatment option to help manage obesity in Canada. Working with the Center for Excellence for Adolescents Living with Severe Obesity (CEASO) Unit at Montreal Children’s Hospital (Montreal, QC), this project aims to create a nutrition education tool for adolescents to help manage adherence to what is often a drastically new way of eating after surgery and beyond.GrantsPERFORM Multidisciplinary Health Research Award (2020) - Development of an innovative smartphone application based on the new Canada’s Food Guide
SPARC Hampton Research Award for New Faculty (2020) - Understanding the interplay between intuitive eating behaviours and physical activity in adults
Montreal Children’s Hospital Adolescent Medicine Research Award (2020) - Evaluating the Acceptability and Feasibility of Protein Cards to Assist Adolescent Bariatric Patients in Tracking their Protein Intake
Research Group MembersPatricia Acosta, PhD Student
Elyse Cadette, Research Assistant
Alysha Deslippe, Doctoral student, Project Coordinator
Georgia Middleton, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Daisy Sun, Research Assistant
Research Roundup: April 2022
This month’s Research Roundup covers the impact of mandatory Active Play Standards on childcare centres’ policies and practices in British Columbia, a positive and supportive way to increase health behaviours and maintain bone health in children, and how changing terminology can help support kids with neurodisability.
