Past Research

This page describes several completed BEACH Lab projects.  Click on the project name to learn more.

Natural experiment to assess health impacts of improved Greenspace in Columbia, SC 

Assessing the impacts of new and improved greenspace on quality of life and physical activity for residents of Columbia South Carolina

Partnerships to Improve Community Health (PICH)

Assessing changes in disparities in park availability, features, and quality across Greenville County, SC over a four-year period.


Healthy Neighborhoods Project

Association of neighborhood physical and social environments with residents’ physical activity behaviors and overall health.

eCPAT Project

eCPAT: Using mobile technology to assess the acceptability, feasibility, and efficacy of the Community Park Audit Tool with youth.

Parks, Environmental Justice, & Childhood Obesity Project

Examining the relationship between distribution and quality of parks, demographics, and childhood obesity.

Park Hop Evaluation Project

Evaluation of an inter-agency collaboration to promote park visitation and physical activity among youth in Greenville County, SC.


Healthy Young People Empowerment (HYPE) Project

Youth advocacy for policy, systems, and environmental change for healthy eating and active living.

Kansas City Parks and Physical Activity Project


Evaluation of the Spartanburg Healthy Schools Initiative

Creating healthier school environments to prevent and reduce youth obesity in Spartanburg County, SC.

ParkIndex

A tool for advancing parks and public health research and practice. 

Electronic Community Park Audit Tool (eCPAT)

Advancing public park information and technology resources to diverse audiences for healthy communities.

Development of a Childhood Obesogenic Environment Index

Creating an index to identify obesogenic communities in the United States to make comparisons between urban and rural environments.