Dr. Jeffrey A. Katula, Ph.D., MA
Assistant Professor

Reynolds Gymnasium, 316
Email: katulaj@wfu.edu
Phone: 336-758-3612

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Education

• AB. Augustana College, Rock Island, IL, 1992, Psychology
• MA. Loyola University Chicago, IL, 1995, Counseling Psychology
• Ph.D. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 1999, Kinesiology

WFU Courses:

HES 262:  Statistics for the Health Sciences
HES 312:  Health Psychology
HES 715:  Experimental Design

Research Interests

Dr. Katula is interested in the relationship between human behavior and chronic disease and disability.  He is particularly interested in the prevention and management of Type II diabetes, mobility disability, cognitive functioning, and quality of life in older adults.  His work emanates from a social cognitive perspective and he often utilizes group mediated cognitive behavioral approaches to implementing interventions.  He is involved in several randomized controlled trials examining various behavioral interventions including physical activity, weight loss, and mental training in older adults. 

Research Projects

• Healthy Living Partnerships to Prevent Diabetes (HELP PD).
  The goal of this project is to translate knowledge regarding the prevention of type 2 DM into practice in the community.  This project is testing the effectiveness of a group-based intensive lifestyle behavioral intervention incorporating professional counselors and community health workers delivered in the community setting via an existing Diabetes Care Center (DCC) in preventing the onset of type 2 DM.  This study is funded by NIDDK.
  
  
• Seniors Health and Activity Research Program-Pilot (SHARP-P)
  The goal of the project is to develop and conduct a randomized clinical trial to assess whether a multi-factorial intervention involving physical activity and cognitive training reduces the risk of significant cognitive decline in older individuals.  This study is funded by NIA
  
  
• Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders (LIFE) Pilot Study
  The major goal of this project was to gather preliminary data that will determine the feasibility of conducting a Phase 3 randomized, controlled trial (RCT) that will provide definite evidence in the use physical exercise to prevent physical and mobility disability in older persons.  The pilot study is now complete and the main trial is under review at NIA.
  
  
• Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD)
  The overall goal of the ACCORD trial is to examine the effects of intensive control of glycemia and other CVD risk factors on CVD event rates in diabetic patients by testing three complementary medical treatment strategies for Type II diabetes.  This study is funded by NHLBI, NIDDK, NEI, and CDC.

Recent Publications

• Marsh, A.P., Chmelo, E.C., Katula, J.A., Mihalko, S.L., & Rejeski, W.J. (In press). A Novel Walking Intervention for Older Adults at Risk for Mobility Disability.

• Katula, J.A., Marsh, A., & Rejeski, W.J. (2008). Strength training and quality of life in older adults:  The POWER Study. Health & Quality of Life Outcomes, 6:45.

• Picarsic, J.L, Glynn, N.W., Taylor, C., Katula, J.A., Studenski, S.A., and Goldman, SE., Newman, A.B., Self-reported Napping, Sleep Duration and Quality in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) Study. (2008).  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, [Epub ahead of print].

• Melton, D.I., Katula, J.A., & Mustian, K.M. (2008).  The Current State of Personal Training:  An industry perspective of personal trainers in a small Southeast community.  Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 22 (3), 883-889.

• Rejeski, W.J., King, A.C., Katula, J.A., Kritchevsky, S., Miller, M.E., Walkup, M.P., Glynn, N.A., & Pahor, M. (2008). Physical activity in prefrail older adults: confidence and satisfaction related to physical function. Journals of Gerontology, Psychological Sciences, 63 (1), P19-26.

• Katula, J A, Kritchevsky, S., Guralnik, J., Glynn, N., Pruitt, L., Wallace, K., Walkup, M., Hsu, F. , Studenski, S., Gill, T., Groessl, E., Pahor, M. (2007). Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders: Recruitment and Baseline Characteristics.  Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55 (5), 674-683.

• Rejeski, W.J., Miller, M.E., King, A.C., Studenski, S.A., Katula, J.A., Fielding, R.A., Glynn, N.W., Walkup, M.P., & Ashmore, J. (2007) Predictors of Adherence in the LIFE-P study. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 2(3) 485–494.

• Fielding, R.A., Katula, J.A., Miller, M.E., Abbott-Pillola, K., Jordan, A., Glynn, N.W., Goodpaster, B., Walkup, M., King, A.C., Rejeski, W.J., for the LIFE study investigators. (2007).  Adherence to the physical activity intervention in the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Pilot (LIFE-P) trial. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 39 (11), 1997-2004.

• Groessl, E.J., Kaplan, R.M., Rejeski, W.J., Katula, J.A., King, A.C., Frierson, G., Glynn, N.W., Hsu, F., Walkup, M.P., Pahor, M. (2007).  Health-Related Quality of Life in Sedentary Older Adults at Risk for Disability.  American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 33 (3), 214-218.