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Irene van Woerden, PhD
MPH Program Director, Associate Professor
Office: Reed Gym 242
Brief Biography
I am an applied statistician who studies health behaviors and outcomes. Among others, my research has indicated that the food insecurity measurement tools may not be working as expected among college students; shown similarities among friends, diet, and sleep behaviors: and shown peer selection and peer influence effects on BMI.
Education/Training
- PhD (Exercise and Nutritional Sciences), Arizona State University
- MS (Statistics), Arizona State University
- MS (Statistics), University of Canterbury, New Zealand
- BS (Statistics and Chemistry), University of Waikato, New Zealand
Teaching Interests
- Statistics
Research Interests
- Health behaviors and outcomes; social networks; food insecurity; BMI; chemical exposure; nuclear energy
Selected publications
Bearden, S. E., & van Woerden, I. (2025). Pacing and placing in 161-km ultramarathons: Effects of sex and age. PLOS ONE.
Hachey D, van Woerden, I., Shiluama R, Singu BS. (2023). Weight gain in Namibians with HIV switching from efavirenz to dolutegravir. International Journal of STD & AIDS.
Sieck, N. E., Bruening, M., van Woerden, I., Whisner, C., & Payne-Sturges, D. C. (2024). Effects of behavioral, clinical, and policy interventions in reducing human exposure to bisphenols and phthalates: A scoping review. Environmental Health Perspectives.
Dehner, G., McBeth, M. K., Moss, R., & van Woerden, I. (2023). A zero-carbon nuclear energy future? Lessons learned from perceptions of climate change and nuclear waste. Energies.
van Woerden, I., Whisner, C. M., & Bruening, M. (2021). Dietary quality and bisphenols: Trends in bisphenol A, F, and S exposure in relation to the Healthy Eating Index using representative data from the NHANES 2007–2016. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Ellison, B., Bruening, M., Hruschka, D. J., Nikolaus, C. J., van Woerden, I., Rabbitt, M. P., & Nickols-Richardson, S. M. (2021). Viewpoint: Food insecurity among college students: A case for consistent and comparable measurement. Food Policy