Lucia L. Kaiser, Ph.D.

Education

• B.S., Biology, College of William and Mary, 1974
• M.S., Nutrition, University of California, Davis, 1981
• Dietetic Internship, Clinical Research Center, Stanford University Hospital, 1984
• Ph.D., Nutrition, University of California, Davis, 1989

Research Interests

Dr. Lucia Kaiser’s research interests have included developing and evaluating nutrition education programs to promote food security and prevent obesity and nutrition-related chronic diseases.  As a Cooperative Extension specialist, she conducted workshops, seminars, in-service training events, and media outreach to the general public, as well as to health providers. Dr. Kaiser maintains the UC Cooperative Extension Community Nutrition website, which provides nutrition education resources and evaluation tools to help those working in the community to promote healthy lifestyles and improve the food environment.

Selected Publications

Sadeghi B, Kaiser LL, Schaefer S, Tseregounis IE, Martinez L, Gomez-Camacho R, de la Torre A. Multifaceted community-based intervention reduces rate of BMI growth in obese Mexican-origin boys. Pediatr Obes. 2016 Apr 13. [PubMed]

George GL, Schneider C, Kaiser L. Healthy Lifestyle Fitness Camp: A Summer Approach to Prevent Obesity in Low-Income Youth. J Nutr Educ Behav. 2016 Mar;48(3):208-212.e1. [PubMed]

Vera-Becerra LE, Lopez ML, Kaiser LL. Relative validity of a tool to measure food acculturation in children of Mexican descent. Appetite. 2015 Nov 18. pii: S0195-6663(15)30091-X.   [PubMed]

Kaiser LL, Campbell CG. Practice paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics abstract: nutrition and lifestyle for a healthy pregnancy outcome. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. 2014 Sep;114:1447. [PubMed]

Kaiser LL, Aguilera AL, Horowitz M, Lamp C, Johns M, Gomez-Camacho R, Ontai L, de la Torre A. Correlates of food patterns in young Latino children at high risk of obesity. Public health nutrition. 2015 Jan 29:1-9. [PubMed]

Chaidez V, McNiven S, Vosti SA, Kaiser LL. Sweetened food purchases and indulgent feeding are associated with increased toddler anthropometry. Journal of nutrition education and behavior. 2014 Jul-Aug;46:293-8. [PubMed]

de la Torre A, Sadeghi B, Green RD, Kaiser LL, Flores YG, Jackson CF, Shaikh U, Whent L, Schaefer SE. Ninos Sanos, Familia Sana: Mexican immigrant study protocol for a multifaceted CBPR intervention to combat childhood obesity in two rural California towns. BMC public health. 2013;13:1033. [PubMed]

Vera-Becerra LE, Lopez ML, Kaiser LL. Child Feeding Practices and Overweight Status Among Mexican Immigrant Families. Journal of immigrant and minority health / Center for Minority Public Health 2013. [PubMed]

Kaiser LL, Schneider C, Mendoza C, George G, Neelon M, Roche B, Ginsburg D. Development and use of an evaluation tool for taste-testing activities by school-aged children. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics 2012;112(12):2028-34. [PubMed]

Banna JC, Kaiser LL, Drake C, Townsend MS. Acculturation, physical activity and television viewing in Hispanic women: findings from the 2005 California Women's Health Survey. Public health nutrition 2012;15(2):198-207. [PubMed]

Matthiessen TB, Steinberg FM, Kaiser LL. Convergent validity of a digital image-based food record to assess food group intake in youth. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2011;111(5):756-61. [PubMed]

Chaidez V, Townsend M, Kaiser LL. Toddler-feeding practices among Mexican American mothers. A qualitative study. Appetite 2011;56(3):629-32. [PubMed]

Chaidez V, Kaiser LL. Validation of an instrument to assess toddler feeding practices of Latino mothers. Appetite 2011;57(1):229-36. [PubMed]

Banna JC, Vera Becerra LE, Kaiser LL, Townsend MS. Using qualitative methods to improve questionnaires for Spanish speakers: assessing face validity of a food behavior checklist. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2010;110(1):80-90. [PubMed]

Townsend MS, Kaiser LL. Brief psychosocial fruit and vegetable tool is sensitive for the US Department of Agriculture's Nutrition Education Programs. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2007;107(12):2120-4. [PubMed]

Kuyper EM, Espinosa-Hall G, Lamp CL, Martin AC, Metz DL, Smith D, Townsend MS, Kaiser LL. Development of a tool to assess past food insecurity of immigrant latino mothers. Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2006;38(6):378-82. [PubMed]

Townsend MS, Kaiser LL. Development of a tool to assess psychosocial indicators of fruit and vegetable intake for 2 federal programs. Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2005;37(4):170-84. [PubMed]

Melgar-Quinonez HR, Kaiser LL. Relationship of child-feeding practices to overweight in low-income Mexican-American preschool-aged children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2004;104(7):1110-9. [PubMed]

Kaiser LL, Townsend MS, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Fujii ML, Crawford PB. Choice of instrument influences relations between food insecurity and obesity in Latino women. The American journal of clinical nutrition 2004;80(5):1372-8. [PubMed]

Townsend MS, Kaiser LL, Allen LH, Joy AB, Murphy SP. Selecting items for a food behavior checklist for a limited-resource audience. Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2003;35(2):69-77. [PubMed]

Melgar-Quinonez H, Kaiser LL, Martin AC, Metz D, Olivares A. [Food insecurity among Californian Latinos: focus-group observations]. Salud publica de Mexico 2003;45(3):198-205. [PubMed]

Kaiser LL, Melgar-Quinonez H, Townsend MS, Nicholson Y, Fujii ML, Martin AC, Lamp CL. Food insecurity and food supplies in Latino households with young children. Journal of nutrition education and behavior 2003;35(3):148-53. [PubMed]

Kaiser LL, Melgar-Quinonez HR, Lamp CL, Johns MC, Sutherlin JM, Harwood JO. Food security and nutritional outcomes of preschool-age Mexican-American children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2002;102(7):924-9. [PubMed]

Kaiser LL, Allen L. Position of the American Dietetic Association: nutrition and lifestyle for a healthy pregnancy outcome. Journal of the American Dietetic Association 2002;102(10):1479-90. [PubMed]

Murphy, S. P., Kaiser, L. L., Townsend, M. S., & Allen, L. H. Evaluation of validity of items for a food behavior checklist. J Am Diet Assoc 2001;101: 751-761. [PubMed]

Kaiser, L. L., Melgar-Quinonez, H. R., Lamp, C. L., Johns, M. C., & Harwood, J. O. Acculturation of Mexican-American mothers influences child feeding strategies. J Am Diet Assoc 2001;101: 542-547. [PubMed]

Kaiser, L. L., Martinez, N. A., Harwood, J. O., & Garcia, L. C. Child feeding strategies in low-income Latino households: focus group observations. J Am Diet Assoc 1999;99: 601-603. [PubMed]

Kaiser, L. L., & Dewey, K. G. Migration, cash cropping and subsistence agriculture: relationships to household food expenditures in rural Mexico. Soc Sci Med 1991;33: 1113-1126. [PubMed]

Kaiser L, Dewey KG. Food resource allocation, household economic strategies and intrahousehold dietary intake patterns in rural Mexico. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 1991;25:123-145.

Kaiser L, Dewey KG. Household economic strategies and food expenditure patterns in rural Mexico: impact on nutritional status of preschool children. Ecology of Food and Nutrition 1991;25:125-145.

Tamura, T., & Kaiser, L. L. The absorption of pteroylpolyglutamate and intestinal pteroylpolygammaglutamyl hydrolase activity in zinc-deficient rats. J Nutr 1991;121: 1042-1046. [PubMed]

Kaiser L, Dewey KG. Migration, cash-cropping, and subsistence agriculture: relationships to patterns of household food expenditures in rural Mexico. Social Science and Medicine 1991;33(10):1113-1126. [PubMed]

Garcia, S. E., Kaiser, L. L., & Dewey, K. G. (1990) The relationship of eating frequency and caloric density to energy intake among rural Mexican preschool children. Eur J Clin Nutr 44: 381-387. [PubMed]

Garcia S, Kaiser L, Dewey KG. Self-regulation of food intake among rural Mexican preschool children. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1990;44:371-380. [PubMed]