Mary Ann Swetland Professor of Environmental Health Sciences
Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
School of Medicine
Director
Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health
School of Medicine
Core Faculty
Prevention Research Center for Healthy Neighborhoods
School of Medicine
Secondary Faculty
Division of General Medical Sciences
Center for Community Health Integration
School of Medicine
Secondary Faculty
Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences
Faculty Associate
Schubert Center for Child Studies
Member
Population and Cancer Prevention Program
Case Comprehensive Cancer Center
An applied population health scientist and community psychologist, Dr. Darcy A. Freedman is nationally recognized for her contributions to community nutrition. She brings a trans-disciplinary background to her research agenda, developing policy and systems-level interventions to promote health equity by addressing the complex interplay between public health and the environment. Since joining Case Western Reserve University in 2013, she has successfully grown a research program focused on the intersection of health equity and community nutrition. Dr. Freedman’s technology, FM Tracks, is now the gold-standard method used nationally to evaluate healthy food incentive programming. She regularly advises and testifies to inform federal, state, and local nutrition policy.
Teaching Information
Courses Taught
Introduction to Population Health
Dissemination and Implementation Science for Health Promotion
Health Behavior and Prevention Seminar
Research Information
Research Interests
- Food Access Interventions (e.g., farmers’ markets, community gardens, food policy)
- Community-engagement and Civic Participation
- Public Health Literacy
- Primary Prevention of Chronic Disease (e.g., Obesity, diabetes, cancer)
- Nutrition and Food Security
Research Goal
- Reduce chronic disease trends and inequities through efforts to promote healthy community environments.
Professional Memberships
Society for Community Research and Action, Co-Chair of Community Health Interest Group
American Public Health Association, Food and Nutrition Interest Group
NIH, Community Level Health Promotion Study Section (Standing Member) (2017-2021)
Pew Charitable Trusts, Expert Panelist, National Health Impact Assessment Evaluation
Ohio Department of Health, Public Health and Health Services Block Grant Advisory Council
Co-Chair (elected), Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Food Policy Coalition
Publications
View more publications on the PubMed website
Recent Publications
- Freedman, DA, Bell, BA, Clark, J, Ngendahimana, D, Borawski, E, Trapl, E, Pike, S, Sehgal, AR. Small Improvements in an Urban Food Environment Resulted in No Changes in Diet Among Residents. J Community Health 2020; : . PubMed PMID:32170531 .
- Freedman, DA, Ngendahimana, D, Shon, EJ, Merritt, K, Pon, J. Predictors of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Use at Farmers' Markets With Monetary Incentive Programming. Am J Health Promot 2019; 33 (7): 1039-1048. PubMed PMID:31159565 .
- Lee, E, Smathers, C, Zubieta, AC, Ginnetti, S, Shah, A, Freedman, DA. Identifying Indicators of Readiness and Capacity for Implementing Farm-to-School Interventions. J Sch Health 2019; 89 (5): 373-381. PubMed PMID:30932209 PubMed Central PMC6519171.
- Parsons, AA, Monteban, M, Lee, E, Bebo, P, Zubieta, AC, Ginnetti, S, Hewitt, J, Freedman, D. Indicators of Readiness and Capacity for Implementation of Healthy Eating Strategies in Child Care Settings Serving Low-Income Children. J Nutr Educ Behav 2019; 51 (4): 465-477. PubMed PMID:30416004 .
- Yang, YY, Kaddu, G, Ngendahimana, D, Barkoukis, H, Freedman, D, Lubaale, YA, Mupere, E, Bakaki, PM. Trends and determinants of stunting among under-5s: evidence from the 1995, 2001, 2006 and 2011 Uganda Demographic and Health Surveys. Public Health Nutr 2018; 21 (16): 2915-2928. PubMed PMID:30156173 PubMed Central PMC6190071.
- Monteban, MF, Bess, KD, Walsh, CC, Baily, H, Flocke, SA, Borawski, EA, Freedman, DA. People and places shaping food procurement among recipients of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Health Place 2018; 53 : 155-163. PubMed PMID:30142499 .
- Freedman, DA, Lee, E, Ohri-Vachaspati, P, Trapl, E, Borawski, E, Bess, K, Flocke, S. Predictors of Farmers' Market Shopping among People Receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits. Am J Community Psychol 2018; 61 (3-4): 488-499. PubMed PMID:29659024 .
- Bush, WS, Crawford, DC, Briggs, F, Freedman, D, Sloan, C. Integrating Community-Level Data Resources For Precision Medicine Research. Pac Symp Biocomput 2018; 23 : 618-622. PubMed PMID:29218920 .
- Trapl, ES, Pike, SN, Borawski, E, Flocke, SA, Freedman, DA, Walsh, CC, Schneider, C, Yoder, L. Food Melt in Consumer Food Environments in Low-income Urban Neighborhoods. Am J Health Behav 2017; 41 (6): 710-718. PubMed PMID:29025499 .
- Pike, SN, Trapl, ES, Clark, JK, Rouse, CD, Bell, BA, Sehgal, AR, To, T, Borawski, E, Freedman, DA. Examining the Food Retail Choice Context in Urban Food Deserts, Ohio, 2015. Prev Chronic Dis 2017; 14 : E90. PubMed PMID:28981402 PubMed Central PMC5645198.
- Flocke, SA, Ohri-Vachispati, P, Shon, EJ, Trapl, ES, Borawski, E, Matlack, K, Freedman, DA. Developing multidimensional measures of healthy food access among low-income adults in Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Public Health Nutr 2017; 20 (16): 2859-2868. PubMed PMID:28847323.
- Lee, E, Dalton, J, Ngendahimana, D, Bebo, P, Davis, A, Remley, D, Smathers, C, Freedman, DA. Consensus modeling to develop the farmers' market readiness assessment and decision instrument. Transl Behav Med 2017; 7 (3): 506-516. PubMed PMID:28730383 PubMed Central PMC5645287.
- Beets, MW, Weaver, RG, Turner-McGrievy, G, Huberty, J, Moore, JB, Ward, DS, Freedman, DA, Beighle, A. Two-Year Healthy Eating Outcomes: An RCT in Afterschool Programs. Am J Prev Med 2017; 53 (3): 316-326. PubMed PMID:28532659 PubMed Central PMC5562516.
- Sullivan, CM, Pencak, JA, Freedman, DA, Huml, AM, León, JB, Nemcek, J, Theurer, J, Sehgal, AR. Comparison of the Availability and Cost of Foods Compatible With a Renal Diet Versus an Unrestricted Diet Using the Nutrition Environment Measures Survey. J Ren Nutr 2017; 27 (3): 183-186. PubMed PMID:28283254 PubMed Central PMC5392449.
- Freedman, DA, Flocke, S, Shon, EJ, Matlack, K, Trapl, E, Ohri-Vachaspati, P, Osborne, A, Borawski, E. Farmers' Market Use Patterns Among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Recipients With High Access to Farmers' Markets. J Nutr Educ Behav 2017; 49 (5): 397-404.e1. PubMed PMID:28274790 .
- Freedman, DA, Hunt, AR, Merritt, K, Shon, EJ, Pike, SN. Dissemination of Technology to Evaluate Healthy Food Incentive Programs. Am J Prev Med 2017; 52 (3S3): S309-S314. PubMed PMID:28215387 .
Publishing impact
Metrics from Web of Science/publons and Scopus/SciVal:
- H-index: 19
- Total publications: 64
- Total citations: 1,523
- Publications in top-tier journals: 28%
- Collaborative publishing national/international: 96%/4%
Editorial roles:
- International Journal of Food Safety, Nutrition, and Public Health
- Social Work Research
Education
Doctor of Philosophy
Community Research and Action
Vanderbilt University
2008
Graduate Certificate
Women’s and Gender Studies
Vanderbilt University
2008
Master of Public Health
Behavioral Sciences
Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health
2000
Bachelor of Arts
Zoology
Miami University
1998
Additional Information
Contributions to science:
- Food systems and health
- Implementation and dissemination science for health promotion
- Community systems science for environmental health equity
- Participatory research methodologies
Active grants:
- Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, Michael & Susan Dell Family Foundation, National Dairy Council, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Steven J. McHale Family Foundation, Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland, Saint Luke’s Foundation: Modeling the Future of Food in Your Neighborhood Study
- NIH/NIDA: Optimizing Healing in Ohio Communities: National HEALing Communities Study
- NIH/NCI: Speeding Research Tested Interventions-FreshLink Ambassadors
- NIH/NCATS: Cleveland Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative
- NIH/NIDCR: Multi-level Interventions to Reduce Caries Disparities in Primary Care Settings
- NIH/NIMHD: Involving communities in delivering and disseminating health disparity interventions (Center for Reducing Health Disparities).
- NIH/NIA: Modeling and Forecasting Atherosclerotic Risk: A Complex Systems Approach (NEO-CARE).
- NIH/NIDDK T35: The Case Medical Student Summer Research Program (MSSRP)
- CDC: CWRU Prevention Research Centers for Healthy Neighborhoods
- USDA: Harvesting Health in the Heartland through Statewide Nutrition Incentive Program Expansion
- USDA: Building capacity for obesity prevention
Student and mentee totals, over Case Western Reserve University career/full academic career:
- Master’s: 5/7
- PhD: 8/12
- PhD graduates’ current careers:
- Marywood University, Department of Social Work, Assistant Professor
- University of Minnesota, School of Public Health, Post-doctoral fellow
- Center for Health Services and Policy Research, University of South Carolina Research Associate
- University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Assistant Professor
- University of Missouri, School of Social Work, St. Louis, Assistant Professor
- School of Medicine Consultation Center at Yale University, Postdoctoral Fellow
- CWRU Mary Ann Swetland Center for Environmental Health, Postdoctoral Scholar