Welcome to the MU Greek Health Project! Our study is aimed at improving health behaviors within the Greek Community at Mizzou. In addition to project staff here at MU, we also have staff from the University of Montana and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Kari Jo Harris, Principal Investigator, is an Associate Professor at the University of Montana. She earned her master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center in 1997 and her doctorate in Behavioral Psychology at the University of Kansas in 1998. Kari’s research interests include health behaviors among understudied populations, particularly young adults. For this project, Kari chose Mizzou because of the sizable Greek population on campus, which allows us to study the health behaviors of a large number of students. Kari makes regular visits to MU to oversee the project, help with training, and generally make sure everything is running smoothly (which, of course, it always is!). She also keeps in close contact with all of the project staff via regular email and conference calls.

Link to Kari’s home page:

http://www.health.umt.edu/pubhealth/Kari_Harris.htm

Overview of the Study

We are investigating and promoting health behaviors in the Greek Community. Our study is funded by the National Institutes of Health. The primary focus of the research study is health promotion among members of the MU Greek community. The specific health behaviors we are focusing on include tobacco smoking and fruit and vegetable consumption. The project began the first week of the 2006 Fall Semester.

During the Fall Semester, members of each chapter will participate in a 5-minute survey. Then, approximately 25 members of each chapter will be randomly selected to participate in the project. Next, these members will complete another survey in an on-campus computer lab. Following this survey, each of the selected members will meet four times throughout the semester with one of the project Health Consultants (see Health Consultants link above). At the beginning of the first three meetings, participants will complete a short survey. Similarly, at the start of the fourth and last meeting with a Health Consultant, participants will complete a longer survey. Lastly, participants will complete a final follow-up survey in February.

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