Associate Professor, Applied Behavioral Science and Psychology
2011 Dole Human Development Center
Department Phone: 785.864.4226
Office phone: 785.864.0550
Fax: 785.864.5024
E-mail: rsteele@ku.edu
Lab Website
B.S. Texas A&M (Psychology), 1992
M.S. University of Georgia (Psychology), 1995
Ph.D. University of Georgia (Clinical Psychology), 1998
Licensed Psychologist, Kansas (LP #1086), Behavioral Services Regulatory Board
Diplomate in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (American Board of Professional Psychology)
Undergraduate and Graduate Courses
Research Interests
My program of research is broadly concerned with the promotion of physical and mental health in children, adolescents, and families across a continuum of health risk categories (i.e., healthy children, children at risk for disease, and children with diagnosed medical conditions). This research has focused on children's responses to the illness of a parent, the assessment of distress among parents of children diagnosed with cancer, and the predictors and correlates of children's psychosocial and physical functioning in various illness populations.
Consistent with these overarching areas of interest, my current research is focused on the correlates and treatment of pediatric obesity. First, supported by a grant from the Kansas Health and Nutrition Fund, my research team examined behavioral and cognitive strategies as adjunctive components to a medically-based intervention for child obesity. The first published study from this project (Herrera, Johnston, & Steele, 2004) indicated that, while both cognitive and behavioral approaches significantly increased the success of children in the program, the behaviorally-based program produced significantly greater decreases in Body Mass Index in children and their parents. A second study funded by this same grant confirmed the efficacy of the behavioral treatment in a larger, more diverse sample (Johnston & Steele, in press). Based on results from secondary analyses of the data from the above two studies, my team revised and updated the treatment protocol. Through a grant funded by the Maternal Child Health Research Program of the DHHS, we are currently investigating the efficacy of the program in a four-year randomized clinical trial. Participant recruitment and data collection are currently underway.
Representative Publications
*Cole, B.P., *Nelson, T.D., & Steele, R.G. (in press). The effectiveness of peer-based HIV/AIDS education: Evaluation of the BASE program. Journal of HIV/AIDS Prevention in Children & Youth.
*Nelson, T.D., *Aylward, B.S., & Steele, R.G. (in press). Structural equation modeling in pediatric psychology: Overview and review of applications. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. Advance Access published on October 31, 2007; doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsm107
Steele, R.G., *Legerski, J.P., *Nelson, T.D., & Phipps, S. (in press). The Anger Expression Scale for Children: Initial validation among healthy children and children with cancer. Journal of Pediatric Psychology.
Steele, R.G., *VanAllen, J., *Benson, E.R., *Hunter, H.L., & McDermott, D. (in press). Associations between the repressive adaptive style and hope in Mexican American and Euro-American children. Journal of Personality Assessment.
*Wu, Y.P., *Aylward, B.S., Steele, R.G., *Maikranz, J.M., & *Dreyer, M.L. (in press). Psychosocial functioning of pediatric renal and liver transplant recipients. Pediatric Transplantation. OnlineEarly Articles Published article online: January 14, 2008 doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3046.2007.00895.x
Steele, R.G., *Cushing, C.C., *Bender, J.A., & Richards, M.M. (2008). Profiles and correlates of children's self-reported coping strategies using a cluster analysis methodology. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 17, 140-153. doi 10.1007/s10826-007-9153-2
Steele, R.G., *Richards, M.M., *Benson, E.R., *Corbin, S.R., & *Cushing, C.C. (2008). Repressive adaptation in a non-clinical sample: Consistent and inconsistent reports of child psychosocial functioning across informants. Journal of Personality Assessment, 90, 286-291. doi: 10.1080/00223890701885035
*Nelson, T.D., & Steele, R.G. (2008). Influences on practitioner treatment selection: Best research evidence and other considerations. Journal of Behavioral Health Services and Research, 35(2), 170-178. doi: 10.1007/s11414-007-9089-8
*Rosno, E.A., Steele, R.G., *Johnston, C.A., & *Aylward, B.S. (2008). Parental locus of control: Associations to adherence and outcomes in the treatment of pediatric obesity. Children’s Health Care, 37, 126-144. doi: 10.1080/02739610802006544
*Hunter, H.L., Steele, R.G., & *Steele, M.M. (2008). Family based treatment for pediatric overweight: Parental weight loss as a predictor of children’s treatment success. Children’s Health Care, 37, 112-125. doi: 10.1080/02739610802006510
*Johnston, C.A., & Steele, R.G. (2007). Treatment of pediatric obesity: An examination of effectiveness in an applied clinical setting. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 32, 106-110. doi:10.1093/jpepsy/jsl010
Steele, R.G., Little, T.D., Ilardi, S.S., Forehand, R., Brody, G.H., & *Hunter, H.L. (2006). A confirmatory comparison of the factor structure of the Children's Depression Inventory between European American and African American youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 15, 779-794. doi: 10.1007/s10826-006-9054-9
Steele, R.G., *Nesbitt-Daly, J., *Daniel, R.C., & Forehand, R. (2005). Factor structure of the Parenting Scale in a low-income African American sample. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 14, 535-549. doi: 10.1007/s10826-005-7187-x
* indicates KU student co-author or co-presenter
Selected Books
Jelalian, E. & Steele, R.G., (Eds.). (in press). Handbook of childhood and adolescent obesity. New York: Springer.
Roberts, M.C., & Steele, R.G., (Eds.). (under contract). Handbook of pediatric psychology (4th ed.). New York: Guilford Publications, Inc.
Steele, R.G., Elkin, T.D., & Roberts, M.C. (Eds.). (2008). Handbook of evidence-based therapies for children and adolescents. New York: Springer.
Steele, R.G., & Roberts, M.C. (Eds.). (2005). Handbook of mental health services for children, adolescents, and families. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Research Funding
KAN30472R40MC06631-01-00
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (direct costs) $458,315
246-FY07-535
Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City $114,993
* denotes student co-author.
