Publications
Shilts, M., Diaz Rios, K.L.,Panarella, K., Styne, D., Lanoue, L., Drake, C., Ontai, L., Townsend, M. (2021). Feasibility of colocating a nutrition education program into a medical clinic setting to facilitate pediatric obesity prevention. Journal of Primary Care and Community Health, 12. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501327211009695
Townsend, M.S., Shilts, M.K., Lanoue, L., Drake, C., Diaz Rios, K., Styne, D.M., Keim, N., & Ontai, L. Obesity risk assessment tool for low-income Spanish speaking immigrant parents with young children: validity with BMI and biomarkers of obesity. Nutrients, 12(11): 3582. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12113582
Townsend, M.S., Shilts, M.K., Lanoue, L., Drake, C., Styne, D.M., Woodhouse, L., Ontai, L. Obesity risk assessment tool among 3-5 year olds: Validation with biomarkers of low-grade chronic inflammation. Childhood Obesity, 16: S23-32. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2019.0237
Ontai, LL, Sutter, C, Sitnick, S, Shilts, MK, Townsend, M. (2020). Parent food-related behaviors and family-based dietary and activity environments: Associations with BMI z-scores in low-income preschoolers. Childhood Obesity, 16: S55-63. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2019.0105
Taylor, J.C., Sutter, C.,Ontai, L., Nishina, A., Zidenberg-Cherr, S. (2019). Comparisons of school and home-packed lunches for fruit and vegetable dietary behaviors among school-aged youth. Public Health Nutrition, 22(10): 1850-1857. DOI: doi:10.1017/S136898001900017X
Ontai, L., Sutter, C. S., Sitnick, S., Shilts, M. K., Townsend, M. (2019). My Child at Mealtime Parent Feeding Self-Assessment Tool: Validation with Mealtime Behaviors and General Parenting. Appetite, 136: 62-69. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2019.01.016
Sutter, C., Taylor, J., Nishina, A., Ontai, L. (2019). Parental and family predictors of fruits and vegetables in elementary school children's home-packed lunches across a school week. Appetite, 133, 423-432. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2018.12.003
Sutter, C., Ontai, L., Shilts, M., Lanoue, L., Allen, L., Townsend, M. (2018). Associations between school readiness, obesity- and inflammation-related biomarkers in low-income preschoolers within the healthy kids study. Mind, Brain and Education, 12: 28-38. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12165
Townsend, M., Shilts, M. K., Styne, D. M., Drake, C., Lanoue, L., Ontai, L. (2018). An obesity risk assessment tool for young children: validity with BMI and nutrient values. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50: 705-717. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2018.01.022
Shilts, M.K., Sitnick, S.L., Ontai, L., & Townsend, M.S. (2018). Guided Goal Setting: A feasible obesity prevention behavior change strategy for low-income parents with young children. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension, 6(3): 161-179. https://www.jhseonline.com
Taylor, J., Nishina, A., Zidenberg-Cherr, S., Sutter, C., & Ontai, L. (2017). Feasibility and reliability of digital imaging for estimating food selection and consumption from students’ packed lunches. Appetite, 120(1): 196-204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.08.037
Ontai, L. L., Sitnick, S. L., Shilts, M. K., & Townsend, M. S. (2016). My child at mealtime: A visually enhanced self-assessment of feeding styles for low-income parents of preschoolers. Appetite, 99, 76-81. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26743352
Sitnick, S. L., Masyn, K., Ontai, L. L., & Conger, K. J. (2016). Mothers’ Physical Illness in One-and Two-Parent Families. Journal of Family Issues,37(7), 902-920. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0192513X14536563
Sutter, C., Taylor, J.C., Nishina, A., & Ontai, L.L. (2016). From parents to peers: Social influences on foods available at lunchtime. National Council on Family Relations Report: Families and Obesity, Issue FF69, F10-F11. https://www.ncfr.org/ncfr-report/focus/family-focus-families-and-obesity/parents-peers-social-influences-foods-available-
Sutter, C., Ontai, L.L., Nishina, A., Conger, K.J., Shilts, M.K., & Townsend, M.S. (2016). Utilizing the Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) as a measure of school readiness: Evaluating factor structure and predictors of school readiness. Early Child Development and Care. Advance online copy. doi: 0.1080/03004430.2016.1174933 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03004430.2016.1174933
Sutter, C., Nishina, A., Scherr, R.E., Zidenberg-Cherr, S., & Ontai, L.L. (2016). Sharing, trading, stealing: The role of peers in shaping foods available at lunchtime. Journal of Early Adolescence, 36(4), 449-464. doi: 10.1177/0272431614566949 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0272431614566949
Kaiser, L. L., Aguilera, A. L., Horowitz, M., Lamp, C., Johns, M., Gomez-Camacho, R., … & de la Torre, A. (2015). Correlates of food patterns in young Latino children at high risk of obesity. Public health nutrition, 18(16), 3042-3050. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25631174
Sitnick, S. L., Ontai, L. L., & Townsend, M. (2014). What Parents Really Think About Their Feeding Practices and Behaviors: Lessons Learned from the Development of a Parental Feeding Assessment Tool. Journal of Human Sciences and Extension Volume, 2(2). http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/24838/
Scherr, R.E., Linnell, J.D., Smith, M.H., Briggs, M., Bergman, J., Brian, K.M., Dharmar, M., Feenstra, G, Hillhouse, C, Keen, C.L., Nguyen, L., Nicholson, Y., Ontai, L., Schaefer, S.E, Spezzano, T., Steinberg, F.M., Sutter, C., Wright, J.E., Young, H.M., & Zidenberg-Cherr, S. (2014). The Shaping Healthy Choices Program: Design and implementation methodologies for a multicomponent, school-based nutrition education intervention. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 46 (6), e13-e21. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2014.08.010 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25457732
Sohr‐Preston, S. L., Scaramella, L. V., Martin, M. J., Neppl, T. K., Ontai, L., & Conger, R. (2013). Parental Socioeconomic Status, Communication, and Children’s Vocabulary Development: A Third‐Generation Test of the Family Investment Model. Child development, 84(3), 1046-1062. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23199236
Sano, Y., Manoogian, M. M., & Ontai, L. L. (2012). “The Kids Still Come First” Creating Family Stability During Partnership Instability in Rural, Low-Income Families. Journal of Family Issues, 33(7), 942-965. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0192513X11430820
Ontai, L. L., & Virmani, E. A. (2010). Predicting elements of early maternal elaborative discourse from 12 to 18 months of age. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(1), 98-111. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200609000490
Amini Virmani, E., & Ontai, L. L. (2010). Supervision and training in child care: Does reflective supervision foster caregiver insightfulness?. Infant Mental Health Journal, 31(1), 16-32. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/imhj.20240/abstract
Williams, S. T., Ontai, L. L., & Mastergeorge, A. M. (2010). The development of peer interaction in infancy: Exploring the dyadic processes. Social Development, 19(2), 348-368. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2009.00542.x/abstract
Hatton, H., Conger, R., Larsen-Rife, D., & Ontai, L. (2010). An integrative and developmental perspective for understanding romantic relationship quality during the transition to parenthood. Strengthening Couple Relationships for Optimal Child Development: Lessons from Research and Intervention. Washington: American Psychological Association, 115-129. http://psycnet.apa.org/books/12058/008
Williams, S. T., Mastergeorge, A. M., & Ontai, L. L. (2010). Caregiver involvement in infant peer interactions: Scaffolding in a social context. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(2), 251-266. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0885200609000957
Barnett, M. A., Scaramella, L. V., Neppl, T. K., Ontai, L. L., & Conger, R. D. (2010). Grandmother involvement as a protective factor for early childhood social adjustment. Journal of Family Psychology, 24(5), 635. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2976599/
Barnett, M. A., Scaramella, L. V., Neppl, T. K., Ontai, L., & Conger, R. D. (2010). Intergenerational relationship quality, gender, and grandparent involvement. Family relations, 59(1), 28-44. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863340/
Neppl, T. K., Donnellan, M. B., Scaramella, L. V., Widaman, K. F., Spilman, S. K., Ontai, L. L., & Conger, R. D. (2010). Differential stability of temperament and personality from toddlerhood to middle childhood. Journal of research in personality, 44(3), 386-396. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2902199/
Greder, K., Sano, Y., Cook, C. C., Garasky, S., Ortiz, L., & Ontai, L. (2009). Exploring relationships between transnationalism and housing and health risks of rural Latino immigrant families. Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 38(2), 186-207. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1552-3934.2009.00020.x/abstract
Neppl, T. K., Conger, R. D., Scaramella, L. V., & Ontai, L. L. (2009). Intergenerational continuity in parenting behavior: mediating pathways and child effects. Developmental psychology, 45(5), 1241. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19702389
Ontai, L., Sano, Y., Hatton, H., & Conger, K. J. (2008). Low‐income rural mothers’ perceptions of parent confidence: the role of family health problems and partner status. Family Relations, 57(3), 324-334. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1741-3729.2008.00503.x/abstract
Ontai, L. L., & Thompson, R. A. (2008). Attachment, parent–child discourse and theory‐of‐mind development. Social Development, 17(1), 47-60. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2007.00414.x/abstract
Scaramella, L. V., Neppl, T. K., Ontai, L. L., & Conger, R. D. (2008). Consequences of socioeconomic disadvantage across three generations: parenting behavior and child externalizing problems. Journal of Family Psychology, 22(5), 725. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2575120/
Ontai, L., Williams, S. T., Lamp, C., & Smith, D. (2007). An integrative approach to addressing childhood overweight: Inclusion of parenting information in nutrition education programs. Journal of Extension, 45(3). https://www.joe.org/joe/2007june/a2.php
Williams, S. T., Ontai, L. L., & Mastergeorge, A. M. (2007). Reformulating infant and toddler social competence with peers. Infant Behavior and Development, 30(2), 353-365. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163638306000695
Churchill, S. L., Clark, V. L. P., Prochaska-Cue, K., Creswell, J. W., & Ontai-Grzebik, L. (2007). How rural low-income families have fun: A grounded theory study. Journal of Leisure Research, 39(2), 271. https://nebraska.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/how-rural-low-income-families-have-fun-a-grounded-theory-study
Ontai, L. L., & Mastergeorge, A. M. (2006). Culture and parenting: A guide for delivering parenting curriculums to diverse families. Journal of Extension,44(4). https://www.joe.org/joe/2006august/tt5.php
Ontai-Grzebik, L. L., & Raffaelli, M. (2004). Individual and social influences on ethnic identity among Latino young adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 19(5), 559-575. http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0743558403260002
Raffaelli, M., & Ontai, L. L. (2004). Gender socialization in Latino/a families: Results from two retrospective studies. Sex Roles, 50(5-6), 287-299. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/B:SERS.0000018886.58945.06
De Guzman, M. R. T., Carlo, G., Ontai, L. L., Koller, S. H., & Knight, G. P. (2004). Gender and age differences in Brazilian children’s friendship nominations and peer sociometric ratings. Sex Roles, 51(3-4), 217-225. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/famconfacpub/67/
Laible, D., Carlo, G., Torquati, J., & Ontai, L. (2004). Children’s perceptions of family relationships as assessed in a doll story completion task: Links to parenting, social competence, and externalizing behavior. Social Development, 13(4), 551-569. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9507.2004.00283.x/abstract
Thompson, R. A., Laible, D. J., & Ontai, L. L. (2003). Early understandings of emotion, morality, and self: Developing a working model. Advances in child development and behavior, 31, 139-172. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14528661
Ontai, L. L., Hinrichs, S., Beard, M., & Wilcox, B. L. (2002). Improving child care quality in Early Head Start programs: A partnership model. Infant Mental Health Journal, 23(1‐2), 48-61. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/imhj.10003/full
Ontai, L. L., & Thompson, R. A. (2002). Patterns of attachment and maternal discourse effects on children’s emotion understanding from 3 to 5 years of age. Social Development, 11(4), 433-450. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1111/1467-9507.00209/asset/1467-9507.00209.pdf?v=1&t=j2qusi1v&s=7f696e1ba6d4e96385fa6f0c349be51446b9af30
Raffaelli, Marcela, and Lenna L. Ontai. “‘She’s 16 years old and there’s boys calling over to the house’: an exploratory study of sexual socialization in Latino families.” Culture, Health & Sexuality 3.3 (2001): 295-310. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/psychfacpub/58/
Thompson, R. A., & Ontai, L. (2000). Striving to do well what comes naturally: Social support, developmental psychopathology, and social policy.Development and Psychopathology, 12(04), 657-675. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11202038
Baldwin, D. A., Bill, B., & Ontai, L. L. (1996). Infants’ tendency to monitor others’ gaze: Is it rooted in intentional understanding or a result of simple orienting?. Infant Behavior and Development, 19, 270.
Conference Presentations
Ontai, L.L., Sutter, C., Shilts, M., Townsend, M.S. (2017). Parents’ Feeding Styles and Their Behavior During Mealtime. Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Austin, TX.
Sutter, C., Taylor, J.C., Nishina, A., & Ontai, L.L. (2017). The Role of Parenting in Youths’ Autonomous Eating Behavior during School Lunchtime for Elementary Age Students. Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Austin, TX.
Sutter, C., Ontai, L., Scherr, R., Linnell, J., Nicholson, Y., Spezzano, T., & Zidenberg-Cherr, S. (2014). Associations Between Parental Feeding Practices and BMI in Middle Childhood: The Role of Children’s Inhibitory Control. Paper presentation at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Sutter, C., Ontai, L.L., Shilts, M.K., Leavens, L.L., Davidson, C.D., Shijo, J., & Townsend, M.S. (2012). Parenting and Childhood Obesity: Connections Through Self-Regulation. Paper presentation at the National Council on Family Relations 74th Annual Conference, Phoenix, AZ.
Poster Presentations
Sutter, C., Taylor, J.C., Nishina, A., & Ontai, L.L. (2017). I Get by with a Little Food from My Friends: Peer Food Exchanges at Lunchtime among Elementary School Students. Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Austin, TX.
Ebuehi, E.P., Taylor, J.C., & Sutter, C. (2017). How Federal Nutrition Programs Influence Fruit and Vegetable Consumption for Children Who Eat School Lunches. Western Psychological Association, Sacramento, CA.
Sutter, C., Taylor, J.C., Nishina, A., & Ontai, L.L. (2016). Parenting and the Contents of Home-Packed Lunches for Elementary-Age Youth. Poster presentation at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference, Minneapolis, MN.
Taylor, J.C., Sutter, C., Ontai, L.L., Nishina, A, & Zidenberg-Cherr, S. (2016). Reliability of a Digital Imaging-Based Method for Estimating Food Selection and Consumption From Children’s Packed Lunches. Poster presentation at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Annual Conference, San Diego, CA.
Sutter, C., Ontai, L.L., Shilts, M.K., Lanoue, L.L., & Townsend, M.S. (2016). Investigating Associations between School Readiness, Biomarkers of Obesity, and Inflammation in Low-Income Preschoolers. Poster presentation at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Taylor, J.C., Mondal, D., Sutter, C., Nishina, A., Zidenberg-Cherr, S. & Ontai, L.L. (2016). Give a Little, Get a Litte: The Association between Peer Food Exchanges and Observed Food Intake at Lunch. Poster presentation at the Society for Research on Adolescence, Baltimore, MD.
Ontai, L.L., Sutter, C., Shilts, M., & Townsend, M. (2015). Behavioral and Predictive Validation of a Self-Assessment of Parental Feeding Style in Low-Income Parents of Young Children. Poster presentation at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
Ontai, L.L., Sutter, C., Sitnick, S.L., Shilts, M., & Townsend, T. (2015). Longitudinal Effects of Parent Feeding Style and Preschooler BMI. Poster presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Philadelphia, PA.
Sutter, C., Ontai, L., Scherr, R., Linnell, J., Nicholson, Y., Spezzano, T., & Zidenberg-Cherr, S. (2014). Individual Differences in Associations Between Parenting Practices and BMI: The Role of Inhibitory Control. Poster presentation at the Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Annual Conference, Milwaukee, WI.
Sutter, C., Ontai, L., Scherr, R., Nicholson, Y., Spezzano, T., & Zidenberg-Cherr, S. (2014). Academics and Obesity: Self-regulation in the Classroom and at the Table. Poster presentation at the Society for Research in Adolescence Biennial Meeting, Austin, TX.
Sutter, C., Ontai, L.L., Shilts, M.K., Leavens, L.L., Davidson, C.D., & Townsend, M.S. (2013). Parenting and School Readiness in Low-Income Families: What Can Be Gained from Examining Everyday Contexts of Interaction and Children’s Self-Regulation. Poster presentation at the National Council on Family Relations 75th Annual Conference, San Antonio, TX.
Sutter, C., Ontai, L.L., Shilts, M.K., Leavens, L.L., Davidson, C.D., & Townsend, M.S. (2013). Childhood Obesity and School Readiness: A Shared Developmental Pathway? Poster presentation at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Seattle, WA.
