Clinical Child Psychology Program










RIC G. STEELE
Email
Lab Website

Ph.D. from University of Georgia, completed internship at University of Tennessee Professional Psychology Internship Consortium and Post-doctoral Fellowship at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.


Research Interests

My 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 (i.e., healthy children, children at risk for disease, and children with diagnosed medical conditions). This research has focused on children’s responses to the illness of a parent, the assessment of distress among parents of children diagnosed with cancer, and the predictors and correlates of children’s psychosocial and physical functioning in various illness populations. As part of this mission, I have also conducted research on the cross-cultural validity of measures of personality and behavioral constructs, and have been interested in the development and dissemination of evidence based therapies in pediatric and clinical child psychology.

Consistent with these overarching areas of interest, my current research is focused on the correlates and treatment of pediatric obesity. Supported by foundation, state, and federal grants, my research team has been developing and examining the efficacy and effectiveness of interventions for pediatric obesity. Through a grant funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Maternal Child Health Research Program, I am investigating the efficacy of the Positively Fit weight management program in a randomized clinical trial with a one-year follow-up.  Follow-up data are being collected through December of 2009.  At a larger ecological systems level,  my team and I are examining the effectiveness of a web-based tutorial that we designed to enhance school nurses’ communications with families about weight-related health.  This project is funded by the Healthcare Foundation of Greater Kansas City.  Participant recruiment and data collection will continue through the Spring of 2010. 


Recent Publications

Book Titles

Jelalian, E., & Steele, R.G. (Eds.). (in press). Handbook of childhood and adolescent obesity. New York: Springer.

Roberts, M. C., & Steele, R. G. (Eds). (2009). Handbook of pediatric psychology (4th ed.). New York: Guilford.

Steele, R.G., Elkin, T.D., & Roberts, M.C. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of evidence-based therapies for children and adolescents. New York: Springer.

Steele, R. G., & Roberts, M.C. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of mental health services for children, adolescents, and families. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.

Selected Empirical Articles

Email Page*Jensen, C. D. & Steele, R. G. (2009). Brief report: Body dissatisfaction, weight criticism, and self-reported physical activity in preadolescent children. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34, 822-826

Email PageSteele, R. G., *Aylward, B. S., *Jensen, C. D., & *Wu, Y. P. (2009). Parent- and youth-reported illness uncertainty: Associations with distress and psychosocial functioning among recipients of liver and kidney transplantations. Children's Health Care, 38, 185-199.

Email Page Steele, R.G., *Legerski, J.P., *Nelson, T.D., & Phipps, S. (2009). The Anger Expression Scale for Children: Initial validation among healthy children and children with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34, 51-62.

Email Page *Hunter, H.L., Steele, R.G., & *Steele, M.M. (2008). Family based treatment for pediatric overweight: Parental weight loss as a predictor of children’s treatment success. Children’s Health Care, 37, 112-125.

Email Page *Nelson, T.D., & Steele, R.G. (2008). Influences on practitioner treatment selection: Best research evidence and other considerations. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 35, 170-178.

Email Page *Rosno, E.A., Steele, R.G., *Johnston, C.A., & *Aylward, B.S. (2008). Parental locus of control: Associations with adherence and outcomes in the treatment of pediatric overweight. Children’s Health Care, 37, 126-144.

Email Page Steele, R.G., *Cushing, C.C., *Bender, J.A., & Richards, M.M. (2008). Profiles and correlates of children's self-reported coping strategies using a cluster analysis methodology. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 17, 140-153.

Email Page *Johnston, C.A., & Steele, R.G. (2007). Treatment of pediatric obesity: An examination of effectiveness in an applied clinical setting. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32, 106-110.

Email Page Steele, R.G., Little, T.D., Ilardi, S.S., Forehand, R., Brody, G.H., & *Hunter, H.L. (2006). A confirmatory comparison of the factor structure of the Children's Depression Inventory between European American and African American youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15, 779-794.

Review Articles

Email Page *Nelson, T.D., *Aylward, B.S., & Steele, R.G. (2008). Structural equation modeling in pediatric psychology: Overview and review of applications. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 33, 679-687.

Email Page Steele, R.G., & *Aylward, B.S. (2007). The use of cluster analytic techniques in developmental and behavioral pediatric research. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 28, 327-239.

Email Page Steele, R.G., *Nelson, T.D., & *Cole, B.P. (2007). Psychosocial functioning of children with AIDS and HIV infection: Review of the literature from a socioecological framework. Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, 28, 58-69.

Book Chapters

Jelalian, E., Steele, R.G., & *Jensen, C.D. (in press). Directions for future research in pediatric obesity prevention and intervention. In E. Jelalian & R.G. Steele (Eds.), Handbook of childhood and adolescent obesity. New York: Springer.

Steele, R.G., Nelson, T.D., & Jelalian, E. (in press). Childhood and adolescent obesity in context: Trends and epidemiology. In E. Jelalian & R.G. Steele (Eds.), Handbook of childhood and adolescent obesity. New York: Springer.

Elkin, T.D., Roberts, M.C., & Steele, R.G. (2008). Emerging issues in the evolution of evidence-based practice. In R.G. Steele, T.D. Elkin, & M.C. Roberts (Eds.) Handbook of evidence based therapies for children and adolescents (pp. 569-575). New York: Springer.

Steele, R.G., *Mize Nelson, J., & *Nelson, T.D. (2008). Methodological issues in the evaluation of therapies. In R.G. Steele, T.D. Elkin, & M.C. Roberts (Eds.) Handbook of evidence based therapies for children and adolescents (pp. 25-43). New York: Springer.

Steele, R.G., Roberts, M.C., & Elkin, T.D. (2008). Evidence-based therapies for children and adolescents: Problems and prospects. In R.G. Steele, T.D. Elkin, & M.C. Roberts (Eds.) Handbook of evidence based therapies for children and adolescents (pp.3-8). New York: Springer.

* indicates KU student co-author.


Current and Recent Grant Funding

KAN30472
Kansas Health and Nutrition Fund Grant (direct costs) $104,762

Funding Agency: State of Kansas Office of the Attorney General
Project dates: 8/1/2002 - 7/31/2004
Project title: Achieving positive behavioral change in nutritional choices and exercise in Kansas children.
PI: Ric G. Steele, Ph.D.

R40MC06631-01-00
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (direct costs) $458,315

Project dates: 1/01/2006 - 12/31/2009
Project title: Effectiveness of a treatment for pediatric obesity
PI: Ric G. Steele, Ph.D. Co-investigator: Ann Davis, Ph.D.

246-FY07-535
Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City (direct costs) $114,993

Project dates: 01/17/2008-06/17/2009
Project title:  Responding to the Crisis: Training School Nurses to Provide Nutrition and Exercise Information to Children and Families.
PI: Ric G. Steele, Ph.D., ABPP Co-investigator: Ann Davis, Ph.D.