Faculty and Staff Profile

Joel Williams

Educational Background

Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics
University of South Carolina 2008

Ph.D. Public Health
University of South Carolina 2004

MPH Public Health
University of South Carolina 2001

B.S. Exercise Studies
Lander University 1996

Courses Taught

HLTH 8990: Independent Study in Applied Health Research & Evaluation
HLTH 8890: Doctoral Seminar
HLTH 8420: Applied Evaluation Methods in Health
HLTH 8210: Health Research I - Design & Measurement
HLTH 8090: Epidemiological Research
HLTH 8030: Theories & Determinants of Health
HLTH 4990: Independent Study
HLTH 4970: Creative Inquiry in Public Health
HLTH 4960: Honors Research Colloquium
HTLH 4950: Honors Thesis Seminar
HLTH 4800: Community Health Promotion
HLTH 4000/6000: Selected Topics
HLTH 3800: Epidemiology
HLTH 3500: Medical Terminology & Communication
HLTH 3400: Health Promotion Program Planning & Evaluation
HLTH 3030: Health Communication
HLTH 2980: Human Health & Disease
HLTH 2400: Determinants of Health
HTLH 2020: Introduction to Public Health

Profile

Dr. Joel Williams is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences. His academic training is in the areas of exercise science, public health and applied evaluation. He also has clinical experience working in sports medicine and hospital settings. Dr. Williams’ area of expertise is implementation and evaluation of health promotion and disease prevention programs and interventions. Joel has worked on projects supported by a variety of funders, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institutes of Child Health and Human Development, National Cancer Institute, National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Defense, and various state agencies and private foundations. Most of his work has involved health behavior measurement and interventions. Dr. Williams has developed study protocols and supervised teams collecting data for both community and clinical trials, and has served as a methodologist and evaluator. His past work has focused on obesity prevention and control in community and clinical settings. Currently, he is engaged in research involving the use of mobile technology for tracking symptoms, quality of life, health behaviors, and promoting chronic disease self-management.

Research Interests

Obesity, physical activity, nutrition, chronic disease self-management, pediatrics, health behavior change, community health promotion, population health, evaluation methods, telemedicine, mobile health technology

Research Publications

1. *Helsel BC, Kemper K, Williams JE, Truong K, Van Puymbroeck M. (under review). Social vulnerability and adverse post-fall outcomes in older adults visiting a South Carolina emergency department. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences.

2. *Helsel BC, Kemper K, Williams JE, Truong K, Van Puymbroeck M. (2020). A multidimensional risk score to stratify community-dwelling older adults by future fall risk using the Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) framework. Injury Prevention.

3. *Francis EC, Li M, Hinkle SN, Cao Y, Chen J, Wu J, Zhu Y, Cao H, Kemper K, Rennert L, Williams JE, Tsai MY, Liwei Chen L, Zhang C. (2020). Adipokines in Early and Mid-Pregnancy and Subsequent Risk of Gestational Diabetes: A longitudinal study in a multi-racial cohort. BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, 8:e001333. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001333.

4. Zhang Y, *Francis EC, Xia T, Kemper K, Williams JE, Chen L. (2020) Adherence to DASH dietary pattern is inversely associated with osteoarthritis in Americans. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition. DOI: 10.1080/09637486.2020.1722075

5. Gimbel RW, Rennert L, Crawford PF, Little JR, Truong K, Williams JE, Griffin SF, Shi L, Chen L, Zhang L, Moss JB, Marshall RC, Edwards KE, Crawford KJ, Rempola-Hing M, Schmeltz A, Lumsden B, Ashby M, Haas E, Palazzo K. (2020). Enhancing patient activation and self-management activities in patients with type 2 diabetes using the U.S. Department of Defense mobile health care environment: A feasibility study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(5):e17968.

6. Zhang L, Babu SV, Jindal M, Williams JE, Gimbel RW. (2019). A patient-centered mobile phone app (iHeartU) with a virtual human assistant for self-management of heart failure: Protocol for a usability assessment study. JMIR Research Protocols, 23;8(5):e13502. doi: 10.2196/13502.

7. *Helsel B, *Liang J, Williams JE, Griffin SF, Spitler H. (2019). Family and friend influences on fruit and vegetable intake in elementary aged children. Journal of Community Health, 44(5):932-940. DOI: 10.1007/s10900-019-00640-x.

8. Williams JE, Eke R, Frost C, Markowitz, J. (2018). Attitudes and beliefs about the use of mobile technology to improve self-management and patient-provider communication among a sample of pediatric eosinophilic esophagitis patients. The Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, 113(4): 148-152.

9. *Helsel B, Williams JE, Lawson K, Liang J, Markowitz J. (2018). Telemedicine and mobile health technology are effective in the management of digestive diseases: A systematic review. Digestive Diseases and Sciences, 63(6): 1392–1408. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-018-5054-z.

10. *Helsel B, Williams JE. (2018). Sarcopenic obesity exacerbates health risk in older adults more than sarcopenia or obesity alone. Current Research in Diabetes and Obesity Journal, 6(4): 555692. DOI: 10.19080/CRDOJ.2018.06.555692.

11. Feng C, Shi L, Truong K, Griffin SF, Williams JE, Crandall LA. (2018). Does awareness of the Affordable Care Act reduce adverse selection? A study of the long-term uninsured in South Carolina. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 54:46958017727103. doi: 10.1177/0046958017727103.

12. Williams JE, Nelson B, 8Helsel B, Eke R. (2018). Exercise considerations for type 1 and type 2 diabetics. ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal, 22(1): 10–16. doi: 10.1249/FIT.0000000000000359.

13. Gimbel R, Shi L, Williams JE, Dye CJ, Chen L, Crawford P, Shry EA, Griffin SF, Jones KO, Sherrill WW, Truong K, Little JR, Edwards KW, Hing M, Moss JB. (2017). Enhancing mHealth technology in the patient-centered medical home environment to activate patients with Type 2 diabetes: A multisite feasibility study protocol. JMIR Research Protocols, 6(3):e38. DOI: 10.2196/resprot.6993.

14. Mayo RM, *Summey JF, Williams JE, Spence RA, Kim S, Jagsic R. (2017). A qualitative study of oncologists’ views on the CancerLinQ rapid learning system. Journal of Oncology Practice. DOI: 10.1200/JOP.2016.016816. http://ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.1200/JOP.2016.016816.

15. Williams JE, Helsel B, Griffin SF, Liang J*. (2017). Associations between parental BMI and the family nutrition and physical activity environment in a community sample. Journal of Community Health, 42(6): 1233–1239. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-017-0375-y

16. Dye C, Williams JE, Evatt J. (2016). Activating patients for sustained chronic disease self-management: thinking beyond clinical outcomes. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, DOI: 10.1177/215013915 626562.

17. Dye C, Williams JE, Evatt J. (2015). Improving hypertension self-management with community health coaches. Health Promotion Practice, 16(2):271-81. doi: 10.1177/1524839914533797.

18. Jones VF, Rowland ML, Young L, Atwood K, Thompson K, Sterrett E, Honaker SM, Williams JE, Johnson K and Davis DW. (2014). Stakeholder perspectives on barriers for healthy living for low-income African American families. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2:137. doi: 10.3389/fped.2014.00137

19. *Hernandez-Garbanzo Y, Griffin S, Cason K, *Loberger G, Williams JE, Baker S, Coffee A, *Linton B, *Hall T, *Hayden V. (2013). A content analysis of nutrition education curricula used with low-income youth audiences: Implications for questionnaire development. Health Promotion Practice, 14(4), 534-42.
DOI: 10.1177/1524839912461355.

20. *Agate ST, Williams JE. (2013). Creating enjoyable experiences: Parents’ perspectives on venue and programming success and failures. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 7, 264-278.

21. Sterrett EM, Williams JE, Thompson K, Knowlton Johnson K, Bright M, Karam E, Jones F. (2013). An exploratory study of parenting style and family nutrition and physical activity. American Journal of Health Behavior, 37, 458-468.

22. Dye CJ, Williams JE, Kemper K, McGuire FA, Aybar-Damali B. (2012). Impact of an intervention on mediators of physical activity among elderly food stamp recipients. Educational Gerontology, 38, 788-798.

23. *Chavez-Martinez A, Cason KL, Williams JE, Nieto-Montenegro S. (2012). Prevalence of obesity and correlates of body mass index among Hispanics living in a new settlement area: Implications for intervention development. World Applied Sciences Journal, 16, 1163-1170.

24. Dave J, Evans AE, Condrasky M, Williams JE. (2012). Parent reported social support for child’s fruit and vegetable intake: Validity of measures. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 44, 132-139.

25. Williams JE, *Kabukuru A, Mayo R, Griffin SF. (2011). A social-ecological perspective on obesity among Latinos. Ethnicity and Disease, 21, 467-472.

26. Condrasky M, Williams JE, *Catalano PM, Griffin SF. (2011). Development of psychosocial scales for evaluating the impact of a culinary nutrition education program on cooking and healthy eating. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 43, 511-516.

27. Griffin SF, Williams JE, Hickman P, *Kirchner A, *Hunter E, Spitler H. (2011). A university, community coalition, and town partnership to promote walking. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice,
17, 358-362.

28. *Agate ST, Williams JE, Barrett N. (2011). From Mickey Mouse to Max & Cheese: Enhancing user experience for the family market. International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 5, 338-358.

29. Williams JE. (2011). Child obesity in context: Ecology of family and community. International Journal of Exercise Science [serial online]. Available from: URL: http://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijes/vol4/iss2/1.

30. *McCall GD, Williams JE, Schmalz DL, *Miller RJ. (2010). American boys and body image: A review of weight gain and weight loss issues. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, 25, 351–361.

31. Williams JE, Griffin SF, McCune A, Linke G. (2010). Using community-based programming to increase family social support for healthy eating among African American adolescents. Journal of Youth Development [serial online]. Available from: URL: http://nae4a.memberclicks.net/assets/documents/JYD_100503final.pdf.

32. *Chavez-Martinez A, Cason KL, Nieto-Montenegro S, Williams JE, Haley-Zitlin V, Mayo R. (2010). Assessment of predisposing, enabling and reinforcing factors toward food choices and healthy eating among Hispanics in South Carolina. Topics in Clinical Nutrition, 25, 47-59.

33. Williams JE, *Agate ST, Cason KL, Griffin SF. (2010). Predictors of social support for healthy nutrition behaviors among African American adolescents. Forum for Family and Consumer Issues [serial online].
Available from: URL: http://ncsu.edu/ffci/publications/2010/v15-n1-2010-spring/williams-agate-cason
griffin.php.

34. Rosenbaum DA, Silvis ML, Williams JE, Davis SW. (2009). Variation in injury risk over the course of a two day youth club soccer tournament. Injury Prevention, 15, 266-269.

35. Wilson DK, Kitzman-Ulrich H, Williams JE, Saunders R, Griffin S, Pate R, Van Horn L, Evans AE, Sisson SB, Hutto B, Addy C. (2008). An overview of “The Active by Choice Today” (ACT) trial for increasing physical activity. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 29, 21-31.

Honors and Awards

2017: Clemson University School of Health Research Scholar

2015: Institute for Advancement of Health Care (IAHC) Faculty Fellow

2008: Clemson University Service Alliance Faculty Fellow