Sandra G. Affenito, Ph.D.
Professor of Nutrition
Dean of the School of Health and Natural Sciences
Contact
Phone: 860.231.5247
E-mail:
saffenito@sjc.edu
Dr. Sandra Affenito describes herself as "committed to stimulating students' learning and developing their intellect." For Dr. Affenito, education is an ongoing process. She implores students to take control of their education by making it meaningful, self-directive and active.
The key, Dr. Affenito believes, is to be passionate about what you are learning and not to place limitations on what you can learn. She adds, "You must be curious, willing to ask questions and look for innovative ways to answer those questions. This helps develop critical thinking. Persistence and perseverance also pay off for students; that is why having a goal in mind is so important."
A specialist in Medical Nutrition, Dr. Affenito has always been interested in the science of Nutrition, and the environmental and psychosocial issues that affect it. She has done a great deal of research on eating disorders and diabetes-two issues that are near-epidemics in the United States today. Currently, she is involved with biobehavioral research that examines patterns of dietary intake among children and adolescents and how this may influence long-term risk for chronic disease. Dr. Affenito's scope of teaching in the graduate and undergraduate programs in Nutrition includes Research Methods, Nutrition Therapy for Eating Disorders, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and Food and Nutrition Management. In 2002, Dr. Affenito was named Connecticut's "Outstanding Dietitian of the Year" and she was the recipient of the prestigious Ross Award in Women's Health from the American Dietetic Association Foundation. She is a reviewer for several scientific journals in the field of nutrition and serves as a member of the editorial board of theJournal of the American Dietetic Association.
Degrees
Ph.D., University of Connecticut
M.S., Saint Joseph College
B.S., University of Connecticut
Research/Publications
SG Affenito (Lead Guest Editor), DL Franko, RH Striegel-Moore, D Thompson. Special Issue on Behavioral Determinants of Obesity: Research Findings and Policy Implications. June 2011. http://www.hindawi.com/
VanHorn LV, Bauserman R, Affenito SG, Thompson, D, Striegel-Moore RH, Franko D, Albertson A. Ethnic differences in food sources of vitamin D in adolescent American girls: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study (NGHS). Nutrition Research. 2011; 31: 579-585.
Albertson AM, Affenito SG, Bauserman R, Holschuh NM, Eldridge AL, Barton BA. The relationship of ready-to-eat cereal consumption to nutrient intake, blood lipids, and body mass index of children as they age through adolescence. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2009;109:1557-1565.
Franko DL, Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR, Crawford PB. The relationship between body mass index and meal frequency in black and white adolescent girls: more is less. International Journal of Obesity. 2008;32:23-29.
Striegel-Moore RH, Franko DL, Thompson D, Affenito SG, May A, Kraemer HC. Exploring the typology of night eating syndrome. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 2008;41:411-418.
Franko DL, Thompson D, Bauserman R, Affenito SG, Striegel-Moore RH. What’s love got to do with it? Family cohesion and healthy eating behaviors in adolescent girls. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2008;41:360-367.
Franko DL, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Barton BA, Striegel-Moore RH. What mediates the relationship between family meals and adolescent health issues? Health Psychology. 2008;27(2 Suppl):S109-117.
Albertson AM, Franko DL, Thompson D, Eldridge AL, Holschuh N, Affenito SG, Bauserman R, Striegel-Moore RH. Longitudinal patterns of breakfast eating in black and white adolescent girls. Obesity. 2007.;15:2282-2292.
Affenito SG, Thompson DR, Franko DL, Striegel-Moore RH, Daniels SR, Barton BA, Schreiber GB,Crawford PB. Longitudinal Assessment of Micronutrient Intake among African-American and White Girls: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2007;107:1113-1123.
Franko DL, Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR, Crawford PB. The relationship between meal frequency and body mass index in black and white adolescent girls: More is less. International Journal of Obesity. 2008;32:23-29.
Affenito SG. Breakfast: A missed opportunity. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2007;107:565-569.
Striegel-Moore RH, Franko DL, Thompson D, Affenito S, Kraemer HC. Night eating: Prevalence and demographic correlates. Obesity. 2006;14:139-147.
Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Franko DL, Obarzanek E, Barton BA, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR, Schmidt M, Crawford PB. Correlates of beverage intake in adolescent girls: The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. Journal of Pediatrics.2006;148:183-187.
Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson DR, Affenito SG, Franko DL, Barton BA, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR, Schmidt M, Crawford PB. Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Few Adolescent Girls Meet National Guidelines The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study (NGHS). Preventive Medicine. 2006;42:223-228.
Barton BA, Eldridge AL, Thompson D, Affenito SG, Striegel-Moore RH, Franko DL, Albertson AM, Crockett SJ. The Relationship of Breakfast and Cereal Consumption to Nutrient Intake and Body Mass Index: The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105:1383-1389.
Schmidt M, Affenito SG, Striegel-Moore R.H, Khoury PR, Barton B, Crawford P, Kronsberg S, Schreiber G, Obarzanek E., Daniels S. Fast food intake and diet quality in black and white females. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Growth and Health Study. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine;2005:159:626-631.
Affenito SG, Thompson DR, Barton BA, Franko DL, Daniels SR, Obarzanek O, Schreiber GB, Striegel-Moore RH. Breakfast consumption by African-American and White Adolescent Girls Correlates Positively with Calcium and Fiber Intake and Negatively with Body Mass Index. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2005;105:938-945.
Striegel-Moore RH, Thompson D, Franko DL, Barton B, Affenito SG, Schreiber GB, Daniels SR.Definitions of night eating in adolescent girls. Obesity Research. 2004;12:1311-1321.
Affenito SG. Child and Adolescent Obesity. Edited by Burniat W, Cole T, Lissau I, Poskitt E: Cambridge, UK, Cambridge University Press, 2002, Book Review. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Pediatrics. 2004;24:79-82.
Affenito SG, Lambert-Lagace L, Kerstetter JE, Demark-Wahnefried W. Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Nutrition and Women’s Health.Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2004; 104:984-1001.
Affenito SG. Lambert-Lagace L. Kerstetter JE. Demark-Wahnefried W. American Dietetic Association. Dietitians of Canada. Nutrition and women's health: position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research. 2004; 65:85-89.
Affenito SG. Detection of Subclinical Eating Disorders in High-Risk Populations. Topics in Clinical Nutrition. 2003;18: 254-261.
Kronsberg SS, Obarzanek E, Affenito SG, Crawford PB, Sabry ZI, Schmidt M, Striegel-Moore R, Kimm SY, Barton BA. Macronutrient intake of black and white adolescent girls over 10 years: the NHLBI Growth and Health Study. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2003;103:852-860.
Affenito SG, Dohm FA, Crawford PB, Daniels SR, Striegel-Moore RH. Macronutrient intake in women with anorexia nervosa: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study. Journal of Pediatrics. 2002;141:701-705.
McNulty KY, Adams CH, Anderson JM, Affenito SG. Development and Validation of a Screening Tool to Identify Eating Disorders in Female Athletes. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2001; 101(8): 886-892.
Affenito SG, Adams CH. Are eating disorders more prevalent in females with type 1 diabetes mellitus when the impact of insulin omission is considered? Nutrition Reviews. 2001;59: 80-183.
Affenito SG, Kerstetter JE. Position of The American Dietetic Association: Women’s Health and Nutrition. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1999:99;738-751.
Affenito SG, Rodriguez NR, Backstrand JR, Welch GW, Adams CH. Insulin misuse in eating disordered females with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus does not favorably change body weight, body composition, or body fat distribution. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1998:98:686-688.
Affenito SG, Lammi-Keefe CJ, Vogel S, Backstrand JR, Adams CH. Women with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and eating disorders are at increased risk for exacerbations in lipid metabolism. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1997:51 462-466.
Affenito SG, Backstrand JR, Welch GW, Lammi-Keefe CJ, Rodriguez NR, Adams CH. Subclinical and clinical eating disorders in IDDM negatively affect metabolic control. Diabetes Care,1997:20:182-184.
