Shelia L. Broyles, PhD, holds a faculty appointment as an Associate Project Psychologist 1 for the Division of Community Pediatrics (CP), Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). Dr. Broyles' education is in the areas of cognitive, social, developmental and cross-cultural psychology. Her doctorate was awarded in 1986 by the Department of Psychology at the University of California, San Diego. For the past eight years she has been applying her education, training, and skills to the exploration of the relationship between contextual and sociodemographic factors (e.g., gender, ethnicity, culture, and socioeconomic status) and health-related risk factors and behaviors. Dr. Broyles' research efforts have included her involvement in two longitudinal intervention studies and one longitudinal observational study of risk factors and behaviors associated with the development o cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dr. Broyles plans to participate in ongoing research, design and conduct research, and complete coursework and training in epidemiology that will enable her to further explore sociodemographic factors, and other factors an behaviors related to CVD. While CVD has historically been associated with higher-income Anglo- Americans, research over the past several years has indicated that this group is no longer a unique risk group. African-Americans and Mexican- Americans have higher rates of some CVD. In addition, less affluent, less educated groups have higher rates of CVD risk factors and higher rates of CVD. Therefore, it is important to determine effects of socioeconomic conditions and cultural characteristics on risk factors among specific racial and ethnic populations. From a better understanding of variations in risk factors will come more population-specific an effective interventions. The proposed studies will examine the relationships between sociodemographic factors, health behaviors (e.g., diet and physical activity), and CVD risk factors in African-American, Mexican-American, Mexican-American and Anglo-American families. The current methods for estimating these factors will also be examined and refined as needed. The research will be based at UCSD-CP. Dr. Broyles will also complete coursework and training in epidemiology, and biostatistics, at San Diego State University, Graduate School of Public Health (SDSU-GSPH). The multidisciplinary team of investigators at UCSD-CP is led by Philip R. Nader, MD, and includes pediatricians, experimental and clinical psychologists, sociologists, epidemiologists, exercise physiologists, and biostatisticians. The focus of their research is behavioral and environmental factors which influence the health of children, youth, and their families. Community Pediatrics and SDSU-GSPH have been active in training students at the undergraduate and graduate levels in medicine, psychology, nutrition, physical education, public health, health science and social work. John P. Elder, PhD, MPH, an investigator at UCSD-CP, and Division Head at SDSU-GSPH, will sponsor Dr. Broyles' academic training at SDSU-GSPH.