Associate Professor of Applied Exercise Science, School of Kinesiology and Research Associate Professor, Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research

Biography
Dr. Colabianchi’s research focuses on the role of environments and policies in facilitating physical activity behavior in children and adults. She has completed a number of federally-funded studies that have examined the influence of parks and playgrounds as well as school and neighborhood environments. She is also interested in physical activity measurement including accelerometry and direct observation. She is the principal investigator on two NIH grants: Improving Environmental Measures in Obesity Research Using Innovative Technology and Built Environments on Stroke Risk and Stroke Disparities in a National Sample.
Projects
Funded Research
Publications
- O'Sullivan, Molly P.; Nagy, Matthew R.; Block, Shannon S.; Tooley, Trevor R.; Robinson, Leah E.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Hasson, Rebecca E. (2018). Acute Compensatory Responses to Interrupting Prolonged Sitting with Intermittent Activity in Preadolescent Children. Pediatric Exercise Science, 30(2), 259-265.
- Vaughan, Christine A.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Hunter, Gerald P.; Beckman, Robin and Dubowitz, Tamara (2018). Park use in Low-Income Urban Neighborhoods: Who Uses the Parks and Why?. Journal of Urban Health, 95(2), 222-231.
- Flórez, Karen R.; Richardson, Andrea S.; Ghosh-Dastidar, Madhumita (.; Troxel, Wendy; DeSantis, Amy; Colabianchi, Natalie and Dubowitz, Tamara (2018). The Power of Social Networks and Social Support in Promotion of Physical Activity and Body Mass Index among African American Adults. SSM - Population Health, 4, 327-333.
- Taverno Ross, Sharon; Clennin, Morgan; Dowda, Marsha; Colabianchi, Natalie and Pate, Russell R. (2018). Stepping it Up: Walking Behaviors in Children Transitioning from 5th to 7th Grade. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(2), 262.
- Block, Shannon S.; Tooley, Trevor R.; Nagy, Matthew R.; O'Sullivan, Molly P.; Robinson, Leah E.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Hasson, Rebecca E. (2018). Acute Effect of Intermittent Exercise and Action-Based Video Game Breaks on Math Performance in Preadolescent Children. Pediatric Exercise Science.
- Paruthi, Gaurav; Raj, Shriti; Colabianchi, Natalie; Klasnja, Predrag and Newman, Mark W. (2018). Finding the Sweet Spot(s): Understanding Context to Support Physical Activity Plans. Proceedings of the ACM on Interactive, Mobile, Wearable and Ubiquitous Technologies, 2(1), 29.
- Harris, Heidi Buchele; Cortina, Kai Schnabel; Templin, Thomas; Colabianchi, Natalie and Chen, Weiyun (2018). Impact of Coordinated-Bilateral Physical Activities on Attention and Concentration in School-Aged Children. BioMed Research International, 2018, 2539748.
- Kaczynski, A. T.; Besenyi, G. M.; Child, S.; Morgan, Hughey S.; Colabianchi, Natalie; McIver, K. L.; Dowda, M. and Pate, R. R. (2018). Relationship of Objective Street Quality Attributes with Youth Physical Activity: Findings from the Healthy Communities Study. Pediatric Obesity.
- Pate, R. R.; Frongillo, E. A.; McIver, K. L.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Wilson, D. K.; Collie-Akers, V. L.; Schultz, J. A.; Reis, J.; Madsen, K.; Woodward-Lopez, G.; Berrigan, D.; Landgraf, A.; Nagaraja, J. and Strauss, W. J. (2018). Associations between Community Programmes and Policies and Children’s Physical Activity: The Healthy Communities Study. Pediatric Obesity.
- Twardzik, Erica; Antonakos, Cathy; Baiers, Ross; Dubowitz, Tamara; Clarke, Philippa J. and Colabianchi, Natalie (2018). Validity of Environmental Audits using GigaPan® and Google Earth Technology. International Journal of Health Geographics, 17(1), 26.
- Beemer, Lexie R.; Ajibewa, Tiwaloluwa A.; O'Sullivan, Molly P.; Nagy, Matthew R.; Ransier, Ben; Stockdill, Darin; Vance, U. S.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Hasson, Rebecca E. (2018). Feasibility of the InPACT Intervention to Enhance Movement and Learning in the Classroom. Translational Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, 3(18), 136-151.
- Richardson, Andrea S.; Troxel, Wendy M.; Ghosh-Dastidar, Madhumita; Beckman, Robin; Hunter, Gerald P.; DeSantis, Amy S.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Dubowitz, Tamara (2017). One Size Doesn’t Fit all: Cross-Sectional Associations between Neighborhood Walkability, Crime and Physical Activity Depends on Age and Sex of Residents. BMC Public Health, 17(1), 97.
- Banda, Jorge A.; Hooker, Steven P.; Wilcox, Sarah; Colabianchi, Natalie; Kaczynski, Andrew T. and Hussey, James (2017). The Effects of a Park Awareness Campaign on Rural Park use and Physical Activity. Journal of Public Health Management & Practice, 23(5), e25-e28.
- Barnes, Timothy L.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Freedman, Darcy A.; Bell, Bethany A. and Liese, Angela D. (2017). Do GIS-Derived Measures of Fast Food Retailers Convey Perceived Fast Food Opportunities? Implications for Food Environment Assessment. Annals of Epidemiology, 27(1), 27-34.
- Nagy, Matthew R.; O’Sullivan, Molly P.; Block, Shannon S.; Tooley, Trevor R.; Robinson, Leah E.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Hasson, Rebecca E. (2017). Affective Responses to Intermittent Physical Activity in Healthy Weight and Overweight/Obese Elementary School-Age Children. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 14(11), 845-851.
- Ajibewa, Tiwaloluwa A.; O'Sullivan, Molly P.; Nagy, Matthew R.; Block, Shannon S.; Robinson, Leah E.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Hasson, Rebecca E. (2017). The Effects of Interrupting Prolonged Sitting with Intermittent Activity on Appetite Sensations and Subsequent Food Intake in Preadolescent Children. Plos One, 12(12), e0188986.
- Richardson, Andrea S.; Troxel, Wendy M.; Ghosh-Dastidar, Madhumita; Hunter, Gerald P.; Beckman, Robin; Colabianchi, Natalie; Collins, Rebecca L. and Dubowitz, Tamara (2017). Pathways through which Higher Neighborhood Crime is Longitudinally Associated with Greater Body Mass Index. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 155.
- Diaz, Keith M.; Howard, Virginia J.; Hutto, Brent; Colabianchi, Natalie; Vena, John E.; Safford, Monika M.; Blair, Steven N. and Hooker, Steven P. (2017). Patterns of Sedentary Behavior and Mortality in U.S. Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A National Cohort Study. Annals of Internal Medicine, 167(7), 465-475.
- Diaz, Keith M.; Howard, Virginia J.; Hutto, Brent; Colabianchi, Natalie; Vena, John E.; Blair, Steven N. and Hooker, Steven P. (2016). Patterns of Sedentary Behavior in US Middle-Age and Older Adults: The REGARDS Study. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48(3), 430-438.
- Barnes, Timothy L.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Hibbert, James D.; Porter, Dwayne E.; Lawson, Andrew B. and Liese, Angela D. (2016). Scale Effects in Food Environment Research: Implications from Assessing Socioeconomic Dimensions of Supermarket Accessibility in an Eight-County Region of South Carolina. Applied Geography, 68, 20-27.
- Hooker, Steven P.; Hutto, Brent; Zhu, Wenfei; Blair, Steven N.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Vena, John E.; Rhodes, David and Howard, Virginia J. (2016). Accelerometer Measured Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity in White and Black Adults: The REGARDS Study. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 19(4), 336-341.
- Colabianchi, Natalie; Griffin, Jamie L.; McIver, Kerry L.; Dowda, Marsha and Pate, Russell R. (2016). Where are Children Active and does it Matter for Physical Activity?: A Latent Transition Analysis. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 13(12), 1294-1300.
- Besenyi, Gina M.; Kaczynski, Andrew T.; Wilhelm, Sonja A.; Bergstrom, Ryan; Oestman, Katherine B. and Colabianchi, Natalie (2016). Sex Differences in the Relationship between Park Proximity and Features and Child and Youth Physical Activity. Children, Youth and Environments, 26(1), 56-84.
- Barnes, Timothy L.; Freedman, Darcy A.; Bell, Bethany A.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Liese, Angela D. (2016). Geographic Measures of Retail Food Outlets and Perceived Availability of Healthy Foods in Neighbourhoods. Public Health Nutrition, 19(8), 1368-1374.
- Miller, Margaret C.; Pope, Holly C.; Wolfer, Terry A.; Mann, Joshua R.; Hussey, James R.; Colabianchi, Natalie and McKeown, Robert E. (2015). Psychometric Analysis of a Scale to Assess Particularized Trust in Families and Community- and Congregation-Based Groups. Journal of Community Psychology, 43(2), 227-243.
- McDonald, S.; Dowda, M.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Porter, D.; Dishman, R. K. and Pate, R. R. (2015). Perceptions of the Neighborhood Environment and Children’s Afterschool Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity. Pediatric Exercise Science, 27(2), 243-251.
- Wilson, D. K.; Van Horn, M. L.; Siceloff, E. R.; Alia, K. A.; St George, S. M.; Lawman, H. G.; Trumpeter, N. N.; Coulon, S. M.; Griffin, S. F.; Wandersman, A.; Egan, B.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Forthofer, M. and Gadson, B. (2015). The Results of the “Positive Action for Today’s Health” (PATH) Trial for Increasing Walking and Physical Activity in Underserved African-American Communities. Annals of Behavioral Medicine : A Publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 49(3), 398-410.
- Colabianchi, Natalie; Griffin, Jamie L.; Slater, Sandy J.; O'Malley, Patrick M. and Johnston, Lloyd D. (2015). The Whole-of-School Approach to Physical Activity: Findings from a National Sample of U.S. Secondary Students. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 49(3), 387-394.
- Howard, V. J.; Rhodes, J. D.; Mosher, A.; Hutto, B.; Stewart, M. S.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Vena, J. E.; Blair, S. N. and Hooker, S. P. (2015). Obtaining Accelerometer Data in a National Cohort of Black and White Adults. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 47(7), 1531-1537.
- Pate, Russell R.; McIver, Kerry L.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Troiano, Richard P.; Reis, Jared P.; Carroll, Dianna D. and Fulton, Janet E. (2015). Physical Activity Measures in the Healthy Communities Study. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 49(4), 653-659.
- Zhu, Wenfei; Howard, Virginia J.; Wadley, Virginia G.; Hutto, Brent; Blair, Steven N.; Vena, John E.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Rhodes, David and Hooker, Steven P. (2015). Association between Objectively Measured Physical Activity and Cognitive Function in Older Adults-the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke Study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 63(12), 2447-2454.
- Barnes, Timothy L.; Bell, Bethany A.; Freedman, Darcy A.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Liese, Angela D. (2015). Do People really Know what Food Retailers Exist in their Neighborhood? Examining GIS-Based and Perceived Presence of Retail Food Outlets in an Eight-County Region of South Carolina. Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Epidemiology, 13(April), 31-40.
- Terry-McElrath, Y. M.; Hood, N. E.; Colabianchi, Natalie; O'Malley, Patrick M. and Johnston, Lloyd D. (2014). Profits, Commercial Food Supplier Involvement, and School Vending Machine Snack Food Availability: Implications for Implementing the New Competitive Foods Rule. The Journal of School Health, 84(7), 451-458.
- Slater, S. and Colabianchi, Natalie (2014). What Influences Park use and Physical Activity?. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 4(2), 130-130.
- Yang, Y.; Diez-Roux, A.; Evenson, K. R. and Colabianchi, Natalie (2014). Examining the Impact of the Walking School Bus with an Agent-Based Model.. American Journal of Public Health, 104(7), 1196-1203.
- Wiecha, J. L.; Beets, M. W.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Ferree, A.; Hall, G.; Hofman, J. and Rauworth, A. (2014). Promoting Physical Activity in Out-of-School-Time Programs: We Built the Bridge–can we Walk Over it?. Preventive Medicine, 69(Suppl 1), S114-S116.
- Liese, A. D.; Bell, B. A.; Barnes, T. L.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Hibbert, J. D.; Blake, C. E. and Freedman, D. A. (2014). Environmental Influences on Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Results from a Path Analytic Model. Public Health Nutrition, 17(11), 2595-2604.
- Colabianchi, Natalie; Coulton, CJ; Hibbert, JD; McClure, SM; Levers-Landis, CE and Davis, EM (2014). Adolescent Self-Defined Neighborhoods and Activity Spaces: Spatial Overlap and Relations to Physical Activity and Obesity.. Health Place, 27, 22-29.
- Hood, N. E.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Terry-McElrath, Y. M.; O'Malley, Patrick M. and Johnston, Lloyd D. (2014). Physical Activity Breaks and Facilities in US Secondary Schools. The Journal of School Health, 84(11), 697-705.
- Hood, NE; Turner, L.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Chaloupka, FJ and Johnston, Lloyd D. (2014). Availability of Drinking Water in US Public School Cafeterias.. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(9), 1389-1395.
- Banda, JA; Wilcox, S.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Hooker, SP; Kaczynski, AT and Hussey, J. M. (2014). The Associations between Park Environments and Park use in Southern US Communities.. Journal of Rural Health, 30(4), 369-378.
- Sudano, Joseph J.; Perzynski, Adam; Wong, David W.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Litaker, David (2013). Neighborhood Racial Residential Segregation and Changes in Health Or Death among Older Adults. Health & Place, 19(January), 80-88.
- Trapl, Erika S.; Taylor, H. G.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Saunders, R. and Pate, R. R. (2013). Value of Audio-Enhanced Handheld Computers Over Paper Surveys with Adolescents. American Journal of Health Behavior, 37(1), 62-69.
- Pate, R. R.; O'Neill, J. R.; Liese, A. D.; Janz, K. F.; Granberg, E. M.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Harsha, D. W.; Condrasky, M. M.; O'Neil, P. M.; Lau, E. Y. and Taverno Ross, S. E. (2013). Factors Associated with Development of Excessive Fatness in Children and Adolescents: A Review of Prospective Studies. Obesity Reviews, 14(8), 645-658.
- Ma, X.; Barnes, T. L.; Freedman, D. A.; Bell, B. A.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Liese, A. D. (2013). Test-Retest Reliability of a Questionnaire Measuring Perceptions of Neighborhood Food Environment.. Health & Place, 21(May), 65-69.
- Hutto, B.; Howard, V. J.; Blair, S. N.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Vena, J. E.; Rhodes, D. and Hooker, S. P. (2013). Identifying Accelerometer Nonwear and Wear Time in Older Adults.. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition & Physical Activity, 10.
- Blake, Christine E.; Bell, Bethany A.; Freedman, Darcy A.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Liese, Angela D. (2013). The Eating Identity Type Inventory (EITI). Development and Associations with Diet. Appetite, 69, 15-22.
- Liese, AD; Bell, BA; Barnes, TL; Colabianchi, Natalie; Blake, CE and Freedman, DA (2013). Environmental Influences on Fruit and Vegetable Intake: Results from a Path Analytic Model.. Public Health Nutrition, 17(11), 2595-2604.
- Liese, Angela D.; Barnes, Timothy L.; Lamichhane, Archana P.; Hibbert, James D.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Lawson, Andrew B. (2013). Characterizing the Food Retail Environment: Impact of Count, Type, and Geospatial Error in 2 Secondary Data Sources. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 45(5), 435-442.
- Clarke, Philippa J.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Schulenberg, John E.; Lee, H.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Johnston, Lloyd D. (2013). College Expectations in High School Mitigate Weight Gain Over Early Adulthood: Findings from a National Study of American Youth. LID – 10.1002/oby.20176 [Doi]. Obesity, 21(7), 1321-1327.
- Hood, N. E.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Terry-McElrath, Y. M.; O'Malley, Patrick M. and Johnston, Lloyd D. (2013). School Wellness Policies and Foods and Beverages Available in Schools.. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 45(2), 143-149.
- Taverno Ross, S. E.; Dowda, M.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Saunders, R.; Pate, R. R. and Pate, R. R. (2012). After-School Setting, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior in 5th Grade Boys and Girls. Health & Place, 18(5), 951-955.
- Meyers, Duncan C.; Wilson, Dawn K.; Kugler, Kassandra A.; Colabianchi, Natalie; McKenzie, Thomas L.; Ainsworth, Barbara E.; Reed, Julian and Schmidt, Sara C. (2012). Assessing Urban Walking Trail use and Changes in the Trail Environment using Systematic Observational Protocols. Health & Place, 18(5), 991-999.
- Liu, Rui; Laditka, JN and Colabianchi, Natalie (2012). Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Predictor of Dementia Mortality in Men and Women. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 44(2), 253-259.
- Clarke, Philippa J.; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Schulenberg, John E.; Lee, H.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Johnston, Lloyd D. (2012). College Expectations in High School Mitigate Weight Gain Over Early Adulthood: Findings from a National Study of American Youth. LID – 10.1002/oby.20176 Doi]. Obesity, 21(7), 1321-1327.
- Sui, Xuemei and Colabianchi, Natalie (2011). A Prospective Study of Fasting Plasma Glucose and Risk of Stroke in Asymptomatic Men. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 86(11), 1042-1049.
- Van Meter, E.; Lawson, A. B.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Nichols, M.; Hibbert, J.; Porter, D. and Liese, A. D. (2011). Spatial Accessibility and Availability Measures and Statistical Properties in the Food Environment. Spatial and Spatio-Temporal Epidemiology, 2(1), 35-47.
- Price, Anna E.; Corwin, Sara J.; Friedman, Daniela B.; Laditka, Sarah B.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Montgomery, Kara M. (2011). Physical Activity and Cognitive-Health Content in Top-Circulating Magazines, 2006–2008. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 19(2), 147-168.
- Price, Anna E.; Corwin, Sara J.; Friedman, Daniela B.; Laditka, Sarah B.; Colabianchi, Natalie and Montgomery, Kara M. (2011). Older Adults’ Perceptions of Physical Activity and Cognitive Health: Implications for Health Communication. Health Education & Behavior, 38(1), 15-24.
- Colabianchi, Natalie; Maslow, Andréa and Swayampakala, Kamala (2011). Features and Amenities of School Playgrounds: A Direct Observation Study of Utilization and Physical Activity Levels Outside of School Time. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 8(1), 32.
- Pfeiffer, Karain A.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Dowda, Porter; Hibbert, James D. and Pate, Russell R. (2011). Examining the Role of Churches in Adolescent Girls’ Physical Activity. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 8(2), 227-233.
- Maslow, Andréa, L. and Colabianchi, Natalie (2011). Youth Physical Activity Resource use and Activity Measured by Accelerometry. American Journal of Health Behavior, 35(2), 219-227.
- Van Meter, Emily; Lawson, Andrew; Colabianchi, Natalie; Nichols, Michele; Hibbert, James; Porter, Dwayne E. and Liese, Angela (2010). An Evaluation of Edge Effects in Nutritional Accessibility and Availability Measures: A Simulation Study. International Journal of Health Geographics, 9(1), 40.
- Colabianchi, Natalie; Kim, J.; Liu, Jihong and Pate, Russell R. (2010). The Effect of Perceived and Structural Neighborhood Conditions on Adolescents’ Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 164(10), 935-942.
- Liese, Angela D.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Lamichhane, Archana P.; Barnes, Timothy L.; Hibbert, James D.; Porter, Dwayne E.; Nichols, Michele D. and Lawson, Andrew B. (2010). Validation of 3 Food Outlet Databases: Completeness and Geospatial Accuracy in Rural and Urban Food Environments. American Journal of Epidemiology, 172(11), 1324-1333.
- Borawski, Elaine A.; Brooks, Ashley; Colabianchi, Natalie; Trapl, Erika S.; Przepyszny, Kathryn A.; Shaw, Nichelle and Danosky, Laura (2010). Adult use of Cigars, Little Cigars, and Cigarillos in Cuyahoga County, Ohio: A Cross-Sectional Study. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 12(6), 669-673.
- Liu, Jihong; Kim, J.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Ortaglia, Andrew and Pate, Russell R. (2010). Co-Varying Patterns of Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors and their Long-Term Maintenance among Adolescents. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 7(4), 465-474.
- Maslow, Andra L.; Sui, Xuemei and Colabianchi, Natalie (2010). Muscular Strength and Incident Hypertension in Normotensive and Prehypertensive Men. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(2), 288-295.
- Mathews, Anna E.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Hutto, Brent; Pluto, Delores M. and Hooker, Steven P. (2009). Pedestrian Activity among California Adults. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 6(1), 15-23.
- Colabianchi, Natalie; Kinsella, Audrey E.; Coulton, Claudia J. and Moore, Shirley M. (2009). Utilization and Physical Activity Levels at Renovated and Unrenovated School Playgrounds. Preventive Medicine, 48(2), 140-143.
- Colabianchi, Natalie (2009). Does the Built Environment Matter for Physical Activity?. Current Cardiovascular Risk Reports, 3(4), 302-307.
- Blair, Steven N.; Church, Timothy S.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Hooker, Steven P.; Lee, Chong-Do; Lee, I-M and Sui, Xuemei (2008). A Prospective Study of Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in Women. Diabetes Care, 31(3), 550-555. Diabetes Care.
- Pate, Russell R.; Colabianchi, Natalie; Porter, Dwayne E.; Almeida, Maria J.; Lobelo, Felipe and Dowda, Marsha (2008). Physical Activity and Neighborhood Resources in High School Girls. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 34(5), 413-419.
- Hooker, Steven P.; Sui, Xuemei; Colabianchi, Natalie; Vena, John; Laditka, James; LaMonte, Michael J. and Blair, Steven N. (2008). Cardiorespiratory Fitness as a Predictor of Fatal and Nonfatal Stroke in Asymptomatic Women and Men. Stroke, 39(11), 2950-2957.