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JoEllen Wilbur, PhD, APN, FAAN

JoEllen Wilbur
Professor and Independence Foundation Chair in Nursing
Associate Dean for Research, Department of Women, Children and Family Nursing, College of Nursing
Education

PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago
MSN, University of Illinois at Chicago
BSN, Marquette University

Research Areas

Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Contact Info:

600 S. Paulina St.
Suite 1062A
Chicago, IL 60612
(312) 942-8947
joellen_wilbur@rush.edu
Links:
Biography

Dr. Wilbur has a long research career in the area of women’s health with a focus on midlife women’s symptoms, cardiovascular health, and physical activity behavior. As a nursing scientist, she is recognized for advancing the science and practice regarding women’s physical activity. Early in her career, she was able to build on physical activity measures originally developed for men and extend capability for reliable and valid measures of women’s activity. She expanded that work in pursuit of exercise physical activity as a natural alternative to hormone replacement therapy to manage menopausal symptoms. She has a line of research, spanning over two decades, in developing culturally sensitive, community based physical interventions to increase physical activity in African American women. This includes consideration of the influence of environmental factors, including the ‘built’ environment, on women’s adoption and maintenance of physical activity. Recently she expanded her research to examine the influence of physical activity on cognition in older Latinos. Her work has been funded from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Robert Wood Johnson Active Living Research and National Institutes of Health, National Institute for Nursing Research.

Dr. Wilbur joined the College of Nursing at Rush University as professor and Endowed Independence Chair in Nursing in September 2007 and assumed the position of associate dean for research in June 2008.

Honors and Activities

  • 1997 National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, 1997 Achievement in Research Award. Awarded at the 23rd Annual Meeting of the National Organization of Nurse Practitioners, Albuquerque, N.M.

  • 1998 Inducted as a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing

  • 2003 Marquette University, College of Nursing, 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award

  • 2005 Association of Community Health Nursing Educators Research Award

  • 2005-2008 University of Illinois at Chicago University Scholar

  • 2009 Inducted as a fellow in the Illinois Institute of Medicine

  • 2011 Distinguished Contribution Award by the Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS), Midwest Nursing Research Award, Columbus, Ohio

  • 2013 Sigma Theta Tau International, 2013 International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame, Prague

Publications

Selected Publications

  • Buchholz, S. Wilbur, J., Miskovich, L. Gerard, P. (2012). An office-based health promotion intervention for overweight and obese uninsured patients. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 27, 68-75.

  • Wilbur, J., Marquez, D., Fogg, L. Staffileno, B., Hoyem, R., Morris, M., Wilson, R., Bustamante, E., Manning, A. (2012). The relationship between physical activity and cognition in older Latinos. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 67(5):524-534.

  • Zenk, SN., Schulz, AJ., Odoms-Young, A., Wilbur, J., Mathews, S.A., Gamboa, C., Wegrzyn, L., Hobson, S., & Stokes, C. (2012). Feasibility of using global positioning systems (GPS) with diverse urban adults: Before and after data on perceived acceptability, wear-related concerns, and ease of use. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 9(7):924-934.

  • Staffileno, B., Tangney, C., Wilbur, J., Marquez, D., Fogg, L., Manning, A., Bustamante, E., Morris, MC. (2013). Dietary approaches to stop hypertension patterns in older Latinos with or at risk for hypertension. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 28(4): 338-347.

  • Buchholz, SW., Wilbur, J., Ingram, D., & Fogg, L. (2013). Physical activity text messaging interventions in adults: a systematic review. Worldviews on Evidence Based Nursing, 10(11): 163-173.

  • Daniel, M., Wilbur, J. Farran, C., Marquez, D. (2013). Lifestyle physical activity behavior among South Asian Indians. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, 15(6), 1082-9.

  • Daniel, M., Wilbur, J., Miller, A., Fogg, L., Farran, C. (2013). Correlates of physical activity in South Asian Indians. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 30(4): 185-200.

  • Wilbur, J., Buchholz, SW., Ingram, DM., Braun, L., Johnson, TJ., Fogg, L., Miller, AM., Volgman, AS., McDevitt, J. (2013). Effectiveness, efficiency, duration, and costs of recruiting for an African American women’s lifestyle physical activity program. Research in Nursing and Health, 36(5): 487-99.

  • Buchholz, SW., Ingram, DM., Wilbur, J., Pelt, PP., (2013). Using photos to develop text messages to promote walking. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 45(4), 380-387.

  • Reed, M., Dancy, B., Holm, K., Wilbur, J., Fogg, L. (2013). Eating behaviors of African American mothers and daughters. Journal of School Nursing, 29(6):452-463.

  • Bustamonte, E., Wilbur, J., Marquez, D., Fogg, L., Manning, A. (2013). The relationship between physical activity and depressive symptoms in older Latinos. Mental Health & Physical Activity, 6(2):69-77.

  • Lee, H., Chae, D., Wilbur, J., Miller, A., Lee, K., Jin, H. (2014). Effects of a 12 week self-managed stretching program among Korean-Chinese female migrant workers in Korea: a randomized trial. JPN Journal of Nursing Science, 11(2):121:34.

  • Marquez, D., Wilbur, J., Hughes, S., Berbaum, M., Wilson, R., Buchner, D., McAuley, E. (2014). B.A.I.L.A. - A Latin dance randomized controlled trial for older Spanish-speaking Latinos: Rationale, design, and methods. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 38:397-438.

  • Lee, H., Wilbur, J. (2013 accepted). Barriers to performing stretching exercises among Korean-Chinese female migrant workers. Public Health Nursing.

  • Mayahara, M., Wilbur, J., Fogg, L., Foreman, M., Pace, J. (2014). Non-professional hospice caregiver’s adherence to as needed pain medications. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care Nursing, 16(3): 134-140.

  • Halloway, S., Buchholz, S., Schoeney, M., Wilbur, J. (2015). Prehabilitation interventions for older adults: An integrative review. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 37(1): 103-123. (MNRS Sage Best Paper Award)

  • Wilbur, J., Miller, J., Braun, L., Buchholz, S., Castro, C., Fogg, L., Ingram, D., Schoeny, M., Dancy, B., Volgman, A., McDevitt, J. (in press). Randomized clinical trial of women’s lifestyle physical activity program for African American women: 24- and 48-week outcomes. American Journal of Health Promotion.

  • Braun, L., Wilbur, J., Buchholz, S., Schoeny, M., Miller, A., Fogg, L., Volgman, A., McDevitt, J. (in press). Cardiovascular risk in midlife African American women: the Women’s Lifestyle Physical Activity Program. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.

  • Buchholz, S. W., Wilbur, J., Schoeny, M. E., Fogg, L., Ingram, D. M., Miller, A., &　 Braun, L. (in press). Retention of African American women in a lifestyle physical activity program. Western Journal of Nursing Research.

  • Halloway, S., Wilbur, J., Schoeny, M., Marquez, D., Semanik, P. (in press). Combined effects of sedentary behavior and moderate-vigorous physical activity on cardiovascular health in older, community-dwelling Latinos. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity.

Grants
Resources

View this playlist of videos from Dr. JoEllen Wilbur’s Women’s Walking Program research collaboration.