Chelsea L. Kracht, PhD

Professional Background

Dr. Chelsea Kracht is a tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Division of Physical Activity and Weight Management in the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Kracht received her PhD in nutritional sciences in 2018 from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. Kracht completed her postdoctoral training at Pennington Biomedical Research Center (PBRC), where she received a competitive NIDDK T-32 Training in Obesity fellowship, and a NICHD K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award. She has been on Faculty since 2024.

• BA, Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology, Drake University, Des Moines, IA
• MS, Exercise Science, University of Central Oklahoma , Edmond, OK
• MS, Epidemiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
• PhD, Nutritional Sciences, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, Sedentary Behavior and Obesity, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA
• Post Doctoral Fellowship, mHealth Interventions, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA

• Society of Behavioral Medicine, BIT SIG - Awards, Co-Chair, 2024 - Present
• The Obesity Society, Early Career Committee, Co-Chair, 2022 - 2022
• International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, e&mHealth SIG, Member, 2020 - 2023
• International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Member, 2020 - Present
• The Obesity Society, Early Career Committee, Member, 2019 - 2021
• Society of Behavioral Medicine, Member, 2018 - Present
• The Obesity Society, Member, 2017 - Present

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Research

Overview

Dr. Kracht's mission is to conduct research that informs public health initiatives related to child and caregiver health. Specifically, Dr. Kracht's research focus is promoting an adequate balance of 24-hour movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) across the lifespan. Dr. Kracht's particular expertise is first the 2,000 days of life (pregnancy to 5 years of age), and within childcare and home settings. This topic is the basis of their current funding, an NICHD R00 Pathway to Independence Award. Her research skill set includes anthropometry, actigraphy, child development measures, community-based participatory research, dietary assessment in children, ecological momentary assessment (EMA), mixed methods and qualitative analysis, mhealth applications, stress, and systematic reviews. Her teaching pedagogy comes from over a decade of coaching, teaching, and mentoring high school, undergraduate, medical students, and adult learners.

• A home-based intervention to improve adherence to the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines in young children., NICHD, PI
• Intensive longitudinal assessment of stress and stress-related concepts across a behavioral weight loss intervention, NIGMS, PI

• Kracht, C., L, Blanchard, C., M, Symons-Downs, D, Beauchamp, M., R, Rhodes, R., E. 2024. New parents’ sleep, movement, health, and well-being across the postpartum period. . Behavioral Sleep Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38592976/
• Harville, E., W, Kracht, C., L, Cohen, N., L, Sutton, E., F, Kebbe, M, Redman, L., M. 2023. Trends in Gestational Weight Gain in Louisiana, March 2019 to March 2022.. JAMA network open, 6 (8), e2331277. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2808866
• Kracht, C., L, Burkart, S, Flanagan, E., W, Melnick, E, Luecking, C, Neshteruk, C. 2023. Policy, system, and environmental interventions addressing obesity and diet-related outcomes in early childhood education settings: A systematic review.. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 24 (4), e13547. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.13547
• Kracht, C., L, Katzmarzyk, P., T, Staiano, A., E. 2021. Household chaos, maternal stress, and maternal health behaviors in the United States during the COVID-19 outbreak.. Women's health (London, England), 17, 17455065211010655. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33886392/
• Kracht, C., L, Katzmarzyk, P., T, Champagne, C., M, Broyles, S., T, Hsia, D., S, Newton, Jr, R., L, Staiano, A., E. 2023. Association between Sleep, Sedentary Time, Physical Activity, and Adiposity in Adolescents: A Prospective Observational Study.. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 55 (1), 110-118. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/fulltext/2023/01000/association_between_sleep,_sedentary_time,.12.aspx
• Kracht, C., L, Joseph, E., D, Staiano, A., E. 2020. Video Games, Obesity, and Children.. Current obesity reports, 9 (1), 1-14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32077041/
• Kracht, C., L, Beyl, R., A, Maher, J., P, Katzmarzyk, P., T, Staiano, A., E. 2021. Adolescents' sedentary time, affect, and contextual factors: An ecological momentary assessment study.. The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity, 18 (1), 53. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33858416/
• Kracht, C., L, Hutchesson, M, Ahmed, M, Müller, A., M, Ashton, L., M, Brown, H., M, DeSmet, A, Maher, C., A, Mauch, C., E, Vandelanotte, C, Yin, Z, Whatnall, M, Short, C., E, Staiano, A., E. 2021. E-&mHealth interventions targeting nutrition, physical activity, sedentary behavior, and/or obesity among children: A scoping review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 22 (12), e13331. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.13331
• Kracht, C., L, Webster, E., K, Staiano, A., E. 2020. Relationship between the 24-Hour Movement Guidelines and fundamental motor skills in preschoolers.. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 23 (12), 1185-1190. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32653249/
• Kracht, C., L, Sisson, S., B. 2018. Sibling influence on children's objectively measured physical activity: a meta-analysis and systematic review.. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 4 (1), e000405. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30364499/