Vanessa Buchthal

opalb@hawaii.edu

(808) 956-4308

Biomed D-201

Opal Vanessa Buchthal, DrPH

Associate Professor

Social and Behavioral Health Sciences

Academic Degrees

  • DrPH (Community-Based and Translational Research), University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa
  • MSPH (Behavioral Science and Health Promotion), University of California at Los Angeles
  • BA (Anthropology), San Francisco State University

Courses Taught

View Curriculum Vitae

Research Interests

Dr. Buchthal’s research interests are focused in examining the social and environmental factors affecting food insecurity coping mechanisms and dietary behavior in low-income communities, the influence of extended families and community social networks on the diffusion of health information and health behavior, and health disparities among Hawai‘i’s low-income populations.  Current research projects include studying the development of partnerships in community-based participatory programs, the evaluation of community-based obesity-prevention programs for Hawaii’s low-income communities, and the evaluation of community food systems in both Honolulu and Hawaii counties.

Selected Publications

Agner J, Pirkle C, Irvin L, Maddock JE, Buchthal OV, Yamauchi J, Starr R, Sentell T.  (2020) The Healthy Hawai‘i Initiative: Insights From Two Decades of Building a Culture of Health in a Multicultural State.  BMC Public Health, 31 January 2020, Vol.20(1), pp.141 doi: 10.1186/s12889-019-8078-1

Buchthal OV, Nelson D, Hsu L, Beyers M, Banna J.  (2019) Identifying urban Immigrant food-cultivation practices for culturally-tailored garden-based nutrition programs.   Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health. [published online ahead of print, 2019 Dec 14]. J Immigr Minor Health. 2019 doi:10.1007/s10903-019-00952-z

Wolff G, Nelson-Hurwitz D, Buchthal OV.  (2019) Identifying and assessing factors affecting farmers’ market EBT sales in Hawai‘i, Public Health Nutr. 2020 Mar 9:1-11. doi: 10.1017/S1368980019004051

Buchthal OV, Wolff G, Kittinger D, Schaeffner D, Nelson-Hurwitz D.  (2018)  Using spatial analysis to strategize promotion of EBT usage at farmers’ markets.  Journal of Public Health Nutrition 2018 Aug 29:1-7. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018001945

Banna JC, Buchthal OV, Tauyan S.  (2015) Assessing face validity of a food behavior checklist for limited-resource Filipinos.  Hawaii Journal of Medicine and Public Health  74(10):334-340 PMCID: PMC4610259   PMID: 26535163

Buchthal OV, Maddock J.  (2015) Mapping the possibilities: Network analysis of interagency collaboration for nutrition promotion in a low-income multi-ethnic community. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, Jul-Aug;47(4):300-7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2015.03.002

Buchthal OV, Tanaguchi N, Iskandar L, Maddock, J.  (2013) Assessing state-level active living promotion efforts using network analysis.  Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Jan;10(1):19-32.  https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.10.1.19

Buchthal OV, Doff AL, Hsu LA, Silbanuz A, Heinrich KM. (2011) Avoiding a knowledge gap in a multiethnic statewide social marketing campaign. Journal of Health Communications, Journal of Health Communication, Mar;16(3):314-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/10810730.2010.535111