Baumler

• All for Them Expansion

  All for Them (AFT) is a multilevel multicomponent program that comprises three synergistic evidence-based strategies to effectively increase HPV vaccine initiation and completion among youth living in medically underserved areas. The original AFT initiative was implemented from 2017-2020 in Houston ISD middle schools. AFT is currently implementing via an expansion grant in diverse Texas communities in Houston, Baytown, and Fort Worth, TX with opportunities for implementation in additional underserved school districts. UTHealth designed the first strategy, the AFT parent-focused social marketing campaign, to normalize and help parents view the HPV vaccine as part of routine healthcare for their adolescents. The AFT campaign messaging begins by empathizing with parents and empowering them to make the best choices for their families, at the same time that it reframes HPV vaccination as cancer prevention. The campaign is delivered through community-based small and digital media for each participating school. The second strategy is continuing nursing education (CNE) to increase school nurses’ knowledge, positive attitudes, and effective communication with parents regarding HPV vaccine, HPV vaccine advocacy, and the importance of recording HPV vaccination in school health records. The project will offer the CNE to school nurses statewide. The social marketing campaign is designed to help parents decide to have their children participate in the third strategy, which is free comprehensive adolescent school-based vaccination clinics held in public middle schools, at which youth will be offered all ACIP-recommended adolescent vaccinations.

  For more information on All for Them, please visit www.allforthemvaccines.com

  Funding: Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas

  Role: PI (sub award), Statistician

  Statistical Methods: measurement, data augmentation, multilevel modeling

  Collaborating Institutions: UT Health Science Center at Houston, UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth, Baylor College of Medicine, Memorial Herman, Texas Children’s Hospital, Harris County Public Health

   

• Building a Better Workplace

  Sexual assault (SA) within the military is a major public health problem, impacting over 25,000 Service members. SA can have serious consequences for the victims and can negatively affect productivity, mission readiness, and overall Service members’ well-being. The number one factor that increases a Service member’s risk of being sexually assaulted is having experienced sexual harassment (SH). Both SA and SH can be prevented by implementing prevention programs that we know work; however, no prevention program that utilizes behavior change theories, or other strategies that have been scientifically proven to change behavior, has been developed specifically for the military. The goal of this 3-year study is to develop and test the usability of an innovative online SH and SA prevention program, named Building a Better workplace (BBW) 2.0. At the conclusion of this study, we will have developed a theory- and scientifically-based SH and SA prevention program that targets Junior Enlisted Services members (ranked E1-E4), Supervisors (ranked E5 or above), and Installation norms and can easily be used at other installations. BBW 2.0 will have an immediate and long-term impact on Service members’ health and well-being, mission readiness, and productivity by increasing their knowledge and skills to build and sustain healthy relationships, ultimately reducing incidences of SH and SA in the military.

   

   

  Funding: DOD

  Role: PI (sub award), Statistician

  Collaborating Institutions: UT Health Science Center at Houston

   

  Selected FLASH Publications:

  Coyle K, Anderson P, Laris BA, Barrett M, Unti T, Baumler E. (2021). A Group Randomized Trial Evaluating High School FLASH, a Comprehensive Sexual Health Curriculum. Journal of Adolescent Health.

  Barrett M, Laris BA, Anderson P, Baumler E, Gerber A, Kesler K, Coyle K. (2020) Condom Use and Error Experience Among Young Adolescents: Implications for Classroom Instruction. Health Promotion Practice.

  Laris BA, Barrett M, Anderson P, Kesler K, Gerber A, Baumler E, Coyle K. (2020) Uncovering withdrawal use among sexually active US adolescents: high prevalence rates suggest the need for a sexual health harm reduction approach. Sex Education.

• Corona Virus Safety Project

  The Coronavirus Safety project fills the gap in available knowledge by generating state-specific data on available services for survivors of interpersonal violence; exploring perceptions of service-providers on meeting the needs of survivors; and identifying innovative programs and practices in service delivery to survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking during the COVID-19 pandemic. The coronavirus pandemic has created an unprecedented crisis for agencies providing services to survivors of domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking and survivors themselves across the state of Texas and throughout the United States. This study is assessing the safety and needs of service providers working with survivors of interpersonal violence, and survivors during the Coronavirus pandemic. This project seeks to provide vital information to service agencies, stakeholders, and survivors in Texas and beyond.

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: mixed methods

  Selected Study Publications:

  Wood L, Baumler E, Voth Schrag RJ, Guillot-Wright S, Hairston D, Temple JR, Torres E. (2021). “Don't know where to go for help”: Safety and economic needs among violence survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Family Violence.

  Wood L, Voth Schrag R, Baumler E, Hairston D, Guillot-Write S, Torres E, Temple J (2020). On the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Occupational Experiences of the Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Assault Workforce. Journal of Interpersonal Violence.

• Dating it Safe (Extension)

  Dating it Safe (Extension)

  The purpose of the original longitudinal NIH and NIJ- funded Dating it Safe study was to examine the longitudinal risk and protective factors of dating violence (or adolescent relationship abuse). A sample of 1,042 high school students were recruited from seven public high schools and assessed as freshman/sophomore high school students in 2010 and have been assessed annually. The extension of the DIS study was funded in 2020 to follow the original cohort for an additional four years extending the study to examine the long-term impact of exposure to DV and other adverse events on adult mental health, physical health, substance use, education/occupation/socioeconomic status, parenting, and relationship stability/happiness. The study will also collect data from participant partners to examine dyadic influences on risk for, and protection from, DV across time.

  Funding: NIH

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: multilevel repeated measures modeling, dyadic analysis, mediation analyses

   

  Collaborating Institutions: UT Health Science Center at Houston

  Selected DIS Publications:

  Temple JR, Shorey RC, Fite P, Stuart GL, Le VD. Substance use as a longitudinal predictor of the perpetration of teen dating violence. J Youth Adolesc. 2013;42(4):596-606. doi:10.1007/s10964-012-9877-1 Link (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23187699)

  Temple JR, Shorey RC, Tortolero SR, Wolfe DA, Stuart GL. Importance of gender and attitudes about violence in the relationship between exposure to interparental violence and the perpetration of teen dating violence. Child Abuse Negl. 2013;37(5):343-352. doi:10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.02.001 Link (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3670104/)

• FLASH (Evaluation)

  FLASH was created and is owned by the Family Planning Program of Public Health–Seattle & King County. The Public Health Family Planning Health Education team partners with communities, schools and other Public Health programs to implement science- and evidence-based interventions that reduce unintended pregnancy, teen pregnancy, STD rates and sexual violence. They provide training for local and national audiences on best practices in the reproductive health field and ensure access to family planning clinical services in King County.

  The FLASH evaluation study featured a randomized controlled trial involving 20 schools drawn from seven districts in two regions in the U.S (Midwest and South). Following baseline data collection, the 20 schools were randomly assigned using computer-generated random numbers to receive the 15-session FLASH curriculum or a 5-session knowledge-based sexual health curriculum with a staggered start date for implementation (Midwest in fall 2016 and Southern in fall 2017). All students within the targeted 9th or 10th grade health education classrooms at the study schools were invited to enroll. Follow-up surveys were administered at 3 months and 12 months after the instructional period. Final data collection ended in February 2019.

  For more information on FLASH, please visit https://www.etr.org/flash/

  Funding: Department of Health and Human Services

  Role: External Evaluator, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: multilevel modeling

  Collaborating Institutions: ETR Associates, Seattle & King County Public Health

   

  Selected FLASH Publications:

  Coyle K, Anderson P, Laris BA, Barrett M, Unti T, Baumler E. (2021). A Group Randomized Trial Evaluating High School FLASH, a Comprehensive Sexual Health Curriculum. Journal of Adolescent Health.

  Barrett M, Laris BA, Anderson P, Baumler E, Gerber A, Kesler K, Coyle K. (2020) Condom Use and Error Experience Among Young Adolescents: Implications for Classroom Instruction. Health Promotion Practice.

  Laris BA, Barrett M, Anderson P, Kesler K, Gerber A, Baumler E, Coyle K. (2020) Uncovering withdrawal use among sexually active US adolescents: high prevalence rates suggest the need for a sexual health harm reduction approach. Sex Education.

• Fort Bend Health Study

  The Fort Bend Health Study is an evaluation of the residential services provided to survivors by Fort Bend Women’s Center (FBWC). Fort Bend Women’s Center offers a variety of services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and their children to Ft. Bend county and the broader Houston area. Secure, affordable, and stable housing is essential for everyone, but particularly for survivors as they seek safety, address trauma, and regain independence. Using a collaborative framework between the Center for Violence Prevention and the Fort Bend Women’s Center, this study is focused on understanding how providing essential residential services support survivors’ safety, address needs, and improve overall well-being.

  This project is evaluating the process and outcomes of three residential services provided by FBWC, emergency shelter, short-term housing (through rapid rehousing vouchers), and long-term housing. The needs of FBWC’s residential service users are assessed using mixed-methods, longitudinal, in-depth interviews and surveys, and the needs of staff, through open-ended individual interviews.

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: mixed methods, multilevel modeling

  Collaborating Institutions: Fort Bend Women’s Center

  Wood L, McGiffert M, Baumler E, Dempster M, Voth Schrag R, Torres M, Backes B. Evaluation of Residential Services at Fort Bend Women’s Center. The University of Texas Medical Branch Center for Violence Prevention.

• Fourth R

  Fourth R
  
  The school-based cluster randomized trial of the 7th-grade version of Fourth R includes 24 ethnically diverse middle schools (ie, clusters: 12 intervention schools, 12 control schools) in area schools to determine the impact of the program by comparing students in intervention schools with those in control schools. The study is currently ongoing. The primary aim is to determine whether Fourth R reduces students’ teen dating violence. The secondary aims are to determine whether Fourth R: (1) improves students’ relationship quality, emotional well-being, and increases their acquisition and use of healthy relationship skills (2) ameliorates the modifiable cognitive and behavioral correlates associated with the perpetration and victimization of TDV (3) improves school climate. For more information on the Fourth R program, please visit www.youthrelationships.org

  Funding: NIH

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: multilevel modeling, mediation analyses, cost effectiveness

  Collaborating Institutions: UT Health Science Center at Houston

  Selected FourthR Publications:

  Lu Y, Baumler E, Temple J (2021). Multiple Forms of Sexting and Associations with Psychosocial Health in Early Adolescents. Submitted to International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

• Harris County health and relationship study Expansion

  The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic brought unprecedented challenges globally, nationally, and state-wide, with especially deep impacts in Harris County to the safety, stability and wellness of residents. With over 350,201 cases and 3,292 deaths as of March 1st 2021, Harris County was among the hardest hit Texas counties (Harris County, 2021). COVID-19 deaths in Harris County have disproportionally impacted Hispanic and Black communities, which mirrors patterns throughout the U.S. Across the country, there have been higher hospitalization rates, higher death rates, and lower vaccination rates for communities of color. This project focused on Harris County residents, 18 or older, who had experienced or perpetrated DV in the past 12 months or were considered at-risk for DV victimization or offending. The UTMB CVP study team collaboratively developed survey and interview tools with HCDVCC. UTMB and HCDVCC partnered with Harris County agencies serving DV survivors and partners using violence, medical practices, and social services agencies providing economic, housing, mental health, and substance misuse treatment to promote the study with potential eligible participants. The study was advertised in print and electronic forms as the “Harris County Health and Relationship Study.” The HCHR study assessed topics such as housing, economics, domestic violence and sexual assault experiences, safety strategies used, and formal and informal support needs. We measured six forms of domestic violence, including 1) physical DV (e.g., hitting, punching, beating up); 2) sexual DV (e.g., forced sex by intimate partner); 3) psychological DV (e.g., threats, name calling, controlling behavior); 4) economic DV (e.g., preventing work); 5) reproductive coercion (e.g., refusing condom use) and 6) forced labor by a partner. Participants were asked about experiences during their lifetime, during the past year, and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey was offered in an online format via the Qualtrics survey program and took on average 35-40 minutes to complete. Initial questions assessed eligibility; participants who met criteria were invited to complete the full survey. The survey was confidential and all questions past the eligibility assessment were voluntary.

  Funding: Harris County

  Role: Co-PI, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: Mixed methods

  Collaborating Institutions: Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council (HCDVCC)
  

  Wood L, Baumler E, Guillot-Wright S, Torres ED, Hairston D, McGiffert M, & Temple J. (2021). Harris County health and relationship study: Brief report. University of Texas Medical Branch, Center for Violence Prevention. Galveston, Texas.

• Me & You Tech STTR

  The goal of this 3 year Fast-Track STTR is to develop and evaluate a multi-level (youth, parent, school) Internet-based teen dating violence (DV) prevention program, ‘Me & You-Tech’ (MYT), for predominantly racial/ethnic-minority 6th--grade middle school students. The original Me & You curriculum is a classroom- and computer based healthy relationships curriculum for middle school students. It consists of thirteen 25-minute lessons: 5 classroom, 5 computer-only, and 3 classroom-computer hybrid. The curriculum integrates group-based classroom activities (e.g., role-plays, group discussion, and other skill-building activities) and computer-based activities, some of which are individually tailored. It also includes school training and parent-child take home activities. The curriculum was developed using intervention mapping, a framework for developing health education interventions using behavioral science theory and empirical evidence.

  Funding: NIH STTR

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: multilevel modeling

  Collaborating Institutions: UT Health Science Center at Houston

• Me & You Too

  Me & You Too

  Me & You Too is a multilevel, multimedia 6th grade sexual health education curriculum designed to increase students’ healthy decision making, goal-setting, and self-regulation skills to have healthy relationships and avoid risk behaviors. Me & You Too directly addresses determinants of sexual risk behavior and dating violence through the lessons and activities, adapted for an evolving learning environment post COVID-19. The curriculum is made up of eight (8) online, multi-media lessons that takes students through activities of modeling, skills practice, interactive quizzes, virtual role plays, and peer videos. The intervention is implemented in a high-teen birth rate area in Harris County, Texas, and focuses on working with communities of racial and ethnic minorities to provide resources and services in addition to the student learning component. Based in social cognitive theory, socioemotional learning, and the socioecological model, the project encompasses health and social service-linkage and wrap-around services coordinated with the district and school staff for families and students. Through the three-year study design, researchers will assess impact on short-term psychosocial outcomes directly targeted by the curriculum related to beliefs and norms of healthy relationships and sexual risk behavior. The analysis of the study data will explore the short-term outcomes by student characteristics to better understand for whom the intervention was effective.

  Funding: USDHHS

  Role: External Evaluator, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: Cross-sectional trends

   

  Collaborating Institutions: UT Health Science Center at Houston

• Older Survivors

  The Older Victims of Sexual and Domestic Violence study examines the availability of services, the access gaps, and the needs of older survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Texas is experiencing rapid population growth, especially among older population segments. As the aging population is at risk of further isolation and reduced access due to mobility and/or chronic illness, it is critical to develop multidisciplinary approaches to provide comprehensive services to older survivors. With consultation from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) and the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV), this project is surveying diverse groups of stakeholders within criminal justice and community-based systems who regularly treat or provide services to individuals over the age of 50. Feedback is being gathered from older survivors of domestic violence/sexual assault on their needs and service experiences and a secondary analysis is being conducted on the 2019 State Plan data. Data collected from this project will lead to the development of recommendations and the identification of promising practices to improve the response for the growing population of older adults impacted by interpersonal violence in Texas.

  Funding: Criminal Justice Division of the Office of the Governor

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: mixed methods

   

• Pregnancy Prevention and DV Data Harmonization

  The Pregnancy Prevention Harmonization study leverages four large data sets of ethnically diverse pre- and early adolescent youth (n=6,305) drawn from randomized trials of sexual risk reduction and healthy relationship promotion interventions. This large sample will allow researchers to overcome the methodological limitations of prior efforts and determine which factors are most impactful in preventing adverse sexual health outcomes and reducing disparities in adverse sexual health outcomes. The innovatively harmonizes data from 4 randomized evaluations, IYG, IYG-Tech, AAY, FourthR to (1) identify the “core components” of these interventions most strongly associated with positive impacts on sexual health (i.e., delayed sexual debut; reduced SRB) (2) identify the core components most strongly associated with reductions in sexual health disparities for racial and ethnic minority youth (3) test effectiveness of these interventions among cross sections of high-risk subpopulations of youth.

   

  Funding: OASH

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: multilevel modeling, data harmonization, mediation analyses

   

  Collaborating Institutions: UT Health Science Center at Houston, Georgia State University

• Project Legacy (Evaluation)

  Project Legacy is an adaptation of Project AIM (Adult Identity Monitoring) for homeless youth. Project AIM is a group level intervention based on the Theory of Possible Selves, which proposes that individuals are motivated in their present life by mental images of possible future selves, and that a person’s motivation is determined by a balance of positive and negative ways people see themselves in the future. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles adapted the program, and it is being evaluated among homeless youth age 15-19 in Los Angeles and San Diego Counties.

  Funding: Administration for Children and Families, Family & Youth Services Bureau

  Role: External Evaluator, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: multilevel modeling

  Collaborating Institutions: ETR Associates, Children's Hospital of Los Angeles

• SAFEline Evaluation

  The Evaluation of Technology-Based Services encompasses a formative evaluation of SAFEline call/chat/text advocacy services for victims of violence. SAFEline, a service of SAFE Alliance that provides phone/chat/text based-advocacy related to intimate partner violence (IPV), sexual assault (SA), human trafficking (HT), and child abuse and neglect (CAN). The evaluation explores how technology expands SAFE’s capacity to provide services, provide insight into SAFEline’s current service delivery, and better understand user experiences. Given the small, but growing, number of agencies in Texas and across the nation looking to implement technology-based advocacy, more information is needed about how chat and text services are implemented, who they serve, and how the service models are adapted for these platforms.

  For more information about SAFEline please visit https://www.safeaustin.org/safeline-lets-chat/
  

  Funding: NIJ

  Role: Co-I, Statistician

  Statistical Methods: mixed methods

  Collaborating Institutions: University of Texas, SAFE Alliance