Carolina M. Bejarano, PhD
- Pediatric Psychologist, Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology
- Assistant Professor, UC Department of Pediatrics
About
Biography
I'm a pediatric psychology researcher interested in eating behavior and how it relates to physical and psychosocial health for youth and families. I am particularly interested in the impact of food insecurity on dysregulated eating, with a focus on Hispanic/Latino adolescents and Spanish-speaking families. My research is also connected to the Cincinnati community in partnering with local non-profits focusing on food access as part of health equity.
My clinical training across the areas of pediatric obesity and eating disorders informed my research questions regarding how we might improve both food access and eating behavior to prevent challenges that many youths and families face. My research aims to understand the drivers of dysregulated eating behavior and identify interventions that may help prevent the development of conditions such as eating disorders and cardiometabolic health concerns. Some of my research has pointed to the importance of studying dietary behavior daily to understand how it changes for an individual and how that fluctuation relates to health-related outcomes.
As part of my long-term career goals, I aspire to contribute to improved psychosocial and cardiometabolic health for youth and families, mainly through promoting and sustaining healthful eating behavior. I am active in leadership as part of the American Psychology Association (APA) Society of Pediatric Psychology (Division 54) and a member of the APA Minority Fellowship Leadership & Education Advancement Program (LEAP) for Diverse Scholars.
Bachelor of Science: Psychology, Spanish, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, 2013.
Master of Arts: Clinical Child Psychology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2016.
PhD: Clinical Child Psychology, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, 2021.
Residency: Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2021.
Fellowship: NIH T32 Research Training in Child Behavior and Nutrition, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, 2023.
Interests
Pediatric health promotion and prevention; eating disorders; cardiometabolic conditions; third wave behavioral interventions
Services and Specialties
Interests
Adolescent eating behavior; impacts of food insecurity as a social determinant of health; intraindividual and intergenerational processes
Research Areas
Publications
Assessing Drivers of Eating Behavior in a Community Sample of Adolescents: Implications for Preventive Interventions. Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology. 2025; 13:89-98.
Examining where to go: pediatric psychology trainees' perception of their graduate training in culture and diversity. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2024; 49:636-646.
Health markers, depressive symptoms, and community deprivation in a type 2 diabetes multidisciplinary care clinic for youth. Clinical Diabetes and Endocrinology. 2024; 10:21.
Sedentary Bout Patterns and Metabolic Health in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latino Youth (SOL Youth). Journal of the American Heart Association: Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease. 2023; 12:e028495.
Trajectories of Psychopathology and Dysregulation 2-4 Years following Adolescent Bariatric Surgery. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2023; 48:479-489.
Hedonic Appetite, Affect, and Loss of Control Eating: Macrotemporal and Microtemporal Associations in Adolescents. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. 2023; 48:448-457.
Temporal discounting modifies the effect of microtemporal hedonic hunger on food consumption: An ecological momentary assessment study. Eating Behaviors. 2023; 48:101697.
Location-specific psychosocial and environmental correlates of physical activity and sedentary time in young adolescents: preliminary evidence for location-specific approaches from a cross-sectional observational study. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2022; 19:108.
Psychosocial predictors of problematic eating in young adults who underwent adolescent bariatric surgery. Obesity Science and Practice. 2022; 8:545-555.
Neighborhood Environmental Attributes And Sedentary Behavior In Hispanics/latinos: The Hispanic Community Health Study/study Of Latinos. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2022; 54:57.
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