Lab: Projects And Data Collection 

The Women’s Health Improvement Initiative

The Women’s Health Improvement Initiative is an interdisciplinary research study led by Dr. Sabik and Dr. Christie Ward-Ritacco at the University of Rhode Island. This dataset focuses on midlife women (ages 40-65) and tracks multiple indicators of health, psychological well-being, and physical function. Assessments included self-reported measures reflecting personality, lifestyle and health behaviors, psychological well-being, body image, stress, and physical activity. Participants in the study undergo a DEXA body scan to assess body composition and bone density, provide saliva samples to assess stress-related hormones, complete a battery of physical function assessments, and wear a physical activity tracker to record activity data. These assessments provide a comprehensive view of women’s health and allow students and faculty working on the data to apply a biopsychosocial approach to assess patterns of health and well-being in this population. 

  • The first wave of data collection was completed in 2019, and preliminary data cleaning and analysis examined patterns in functional assessments and body composition. Current projects include analyzing cortisol samples and linking these to body composition and eating behaviors; examining chronic stress and links to indicators of quality of life; and examining links between aspects of body image and stress.  

  • A second wave of data collection is being planned for 2023 to follow original participants and track changes that occurred over the past 4 years, including during the COVID pandemic. 

  • Students interested in working on this dataset should contact Dr. Sabik or Dr. Ward-Ritacco for more information. 

3D Body Scanning, Biometrics and Body Image Evaluation

Dr. Sabik is collaborating with Dr. Jessica Strubel in the College of Business at URI to collect data using a 3D body scanner. 3D scans offer biometrically accurate images for estimating body shape and size, which may align mental constructs of the body with an objective body assessment. This data collection examines the effects of body scanning technology on body image and psychological well-being and seeks to identify for whom body scan technology is stressful by examining the association between stress appraisal of the body scan and body esteem.

  • A pilot study was conducted in 2022 and data are currently being analyzed, with plans for a larger follow-up study.