Christiaan Abildso, MPH, PhD

Dr. Abildso is an associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavior Sciences; research interests include health promotion program evaluation and social-ecological determinants of physical activity, including policy and the built environment.

Associate Professor

Organization:

West Virginia University School of Public Health

Department:

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Classification:

Faculty

• PhD, West Virginia University
• MPH, West Virginia University
• MEd, Boston University
• BA, McDaniel College (formerly Western Maryland College)

• Abildso CG, Perry CK, Jacobs L, Umstattd Meyer MR, McClendon ME, Edwards MB, Roemmich JN, Ramsey Z*, Stout MR. What sets physically active rural communities apart from less active ones? A comparative case study of three US counties. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(20):10574. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010574.
• Abildso CG, Daily SM, Umstattd Meyer MR, Edwards MB, Jacobs L, McClendon ME, Perry CK, Roemmich JN. Environmental factors associated with physical activity in rural US counties. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(14):7688. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18147688.  
• Abildso CG, Haas V, Daily SM, Bias TK. Field test of a passive infrared camera for measuring trail-based physical activity. Front Public Health. 2021;9:225. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.584740.  
• Abildso CG, Coffman JE, Bias TK. Adoption and Reach of a statewide policy, systems, and environment intervention to increase fresh fruits and vegetable access in West Virginia. Transl Behav Med 2019;9(5):847-56. https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibz095.  
• Abildso CG, Dyer AM, Daily SM, Bias TK. Evaluability assessment of “Growing Healthy Communities,” a mini-grant program to improve access to healthy foods and places for physical activity. BMC Public Health 2019;19:779. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7156-8.

• WVU 150th Anniversary Celebration Coin, recipient, November 2017: awarded to 150 faculty and staff at WVU who uphold the values of service, curiosity, respect, accountability and appreciation. Recipients of the Celebration Coin were nominated by their peers.

Courses taught (here at WVU)

• Public Health Program Evaluation
• The Obesigenic Environment
• Advanced Evaluation in Public Health

• Christiaan Abildso, PhD, MPH is an associate professor in the Department of Social and Behavior Sciences. His research interests include health promotion program evaluation and social-ecological determinants of physical activity, including policy and the built environment. Dr. Abildso has multiple peer-reviewed publications about Morgantown area rail-trails, health impact assessment, physical activity planning, and evaluation of state-level health promotion programming. Christiaan is also active in local and state active transportation policy decisions, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and national research on physical activity in rural areas. Recent work focused on physical activity in rural areas includes co-leading the Rural Workgroup of PAPREN (Physical Activity Policy Research and Evaluation Network), co-guest editing a special issue of IJERPH focused on rural physical activity and serving as lead author of a manuscript about the environmental determinants of physical activity in rural US counties. When not in the office, you’ll usually find him riding his bike (very safely) on the beautiful rail-trails, mountain bike trails, and country roads of West Virginia.

• Christiaan is also active in local and state active transportation policy decisions, pedestrian and bicyclist safety, and national research on physical activity in rural areas. When not in the office, you’ll usually find him riding his bike (very safely) on the beautiful trails and country roads of West Virginia.