Keith Brazendale is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Sciences. His research interests center on childhood obesity prevention and treatment, specifically focusing on obesogenic behaviors such as physical activity, sleep and sedentary behavior in-and-out of school time. Brazendale also is interested in the etiology of children’s accelerated weight gain during summer months. He developed and published a research hypothesis – the ‘Structured Days Hypothesis’ – to explain why this may be occurring.
Credentials
- Ph.D., Doctor of Philosophy, Exercise Science, University of South Carolina
- MS, Master of Science, Exercise Science, Florida Atlantic University
Areas of Specialty
- Childhood Obesity
- Physical Activity
- Sedentary Behavior
- sleep
Research Grants
Health Sciences
Investigating the Underlying Mechanisms of Disparities in Sleep Deficiencies in Children
Funding Type: Internal
Funding Agency: Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training (CBHRT)
Health Sciences
Development of a Family-Centered Cooking Class for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Funding Type: Extramural Research
Funding Agency: Healthy Weight Research Network
Genius Foundation Awards $300,000 To UCF Interdisciplinary Health Research
Eight interdisciplinary faculty research projects — on health topics including pain management, improving provider-patient communication, and intimate partner violence — have received about $300,000 in grant funding through a new...
School Day Structure Could Benefit Children’s Health
Researchers found that children’s obesogenic behaviors on school days are more favorable compared to non-school days. Having a structured environment for children, whether during school days or when stuck in...
The physical benefits of face-to-face learning
Keith Brazendale, assistant professor of health sciences at UCF, talks to Good Day Orlando about the benefits for kids doing in-person learning.
Health Sciences Students Compete in Undergraduate Research Symposium
Ten groups of health science students across five sections in Applied Health Research Methodology recently gathered online to present their final project – a research proposal poster. As the culmination...
Researcher Spotlight: Keith Brazendale
Keith Brazendale, assistant professor in Health Sciences, studies obesity in children, particularly how daily “routine” and “structure” can impact healthy weight in kids. It’s a passion he always had but took time to realize. He started college as a finance and accounting major. Although he found success...
Health Sciences Students Showcase Research Proposals at Annual Symposium
As the semester draws to an end, Health Sciences students from five sections of the Applied Health Research Methodology class participated in an online symposium of nearly 100 attendees to...
Pandemic Presents Unique Research Opportunity for Studying Unhealthy Behavior in Kids
In early March, Keith Brazendale began gathering initial data for his research project on the factors and behaviors that contribute to weight gain among children living in rural areas. After completing the first part of the project, which...
UCF Experts Provide Tips to Maximize Employee Health and Efficiency
Now, more than ever, it is critical for employees to take care of themselves. Several experts in the College of Health Professions and Sciences at the University of Central Florida...
UCF School of Social Work Awards Seed Grants for Interdisciplinary Research
The UCF School of Social Work is committed to providing essential and unique research to health and mental health fields through the school’s Center for Behavioral Health Research and Training...
Health Sciences Undergraduate Students Get a Taste of Research
Many health sciences undergraduate students aspire to have careers in healthcare. An important tenet of medicine is that interventions and treatment be research-based. To help prepare students to understand and...