Soohyun Nam, PhD, APRN, ANP-BC, FAHA, FAAN

About

Soohyun Nam is an associate professor in the Adult-Gerontological, Family Nurse Practitioner specialty and PhD program. She received her bachelor of science in nursing from Seoul National University in Seoul, South Korea. She received both a master’s degree as an adult nurse practitioner and a PhD in nursing from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Interdisciplinary Training in Health Disparities Research at the Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Nam is a nationally certified nurse practitioner who has been working with adults of diverse race/ethnicity. She found that adults of diverse race/ethnicity experience multiple barriers to accessing and navigating healthcare systems and to managing their chronic diseases that often require substantial health behavior change and self-management. Her program of research has focused on understanding cardiometabolic health disparities and social, cultural, and affective determinants of health among racial-ethnic minorities. She has extensively studied and published on social determinants of health in racial, ethnic, and immigrant minority populations and health disparities, including racial discrimination, bio-behavioral stress responses, lifestyle health behaviors, social networks, and neighborhood.

As a clinician, researcher, and nurse educator Dr. Nam is committed to improving health equity and social inequalities that contribute to health disparities for underserved populations.
Dr. Nam has served on the Yale Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program (RWJFCSP) committee. She is currently a steering committee member for Yale Center for Research and Engagement. Dr. Nam teaches courses related to the primary care of adults.

Research Interests

Dr. Nam has expertise in the field of chronic disease self-management such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, and community-engaged research and health disparities research for underserved adults of diverse race/ethnicity.

Selected Publications

Publications

Nam, S., Griggs, S., Ash, G. I., Dunton, G. F., Huang, S., Parekh, N., Batten, J., & Whittemore, R. (2021). Ecological momentary assessment for health behaviors and contextual factors in persons with diabetes: A systematic review. Diabetes Rese Clin Pract, Mar 10;174:108745. doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2021.108745.

Nam, S., Jeon, S., Ash, G., Whittemore, R., & Vlahov, D. (2021). Racial discrimination, sedentary time and physical activity: A pilot study combining ecological momentary assessment and accelerometers in African Americans. JMIR Formative Research, June 7;5(6):e25687. doi: 10.2196/25687.

Min, S.H., Whittemore, R., Kennedy, H., Nam, S. Reflections on obesity-related health behaviors over time and suggestions for health promotion programs from African American women, Journal of Women & Aging, 2021 Sep 8:1-14. doi: 10.1080/08952841.2021.1974268. Online ahead of print.PMID: 34495818

Jung, S., Whittemore, R., Jeon, S., & Nam, S. (2021). Mediating Roles of Psychological Factors and Physical and Social Environments Between Socioeconomic Status and Dietary Behaviors among African Americans with Overweight or Obesity. Res Nurs Health, 44(3), 513-524.

Gu, L. Y., Zhang, N., Mayer, K. H., McMahon, J. M., Nam, S., Conserve, D. F., Moskow, M., Brasch, J., Adu-Sarkodie, Y., Agyarko-Poku, T., Boakye, F., & Nelson, L. E. (2021). Autonomy- supportive healthcare climate and HIV-related stigma predict linkage to HIV care in men who have sex with men in Ghana, West Africa. J Int Assoc Provid AIDS Care. doi:10.1177/2325958220978113. PMID: 33733909

Nam, S., Dunton, G. F., Ordway, M. R., Ash, G. I., Jeon, S., Vlahov, D., Whittemore, R., Nelson, L. E., Sinha, R., Nunez-Smith, M., & Granger, D. A. (2020). Feasibility and acceptability of intensive, real-time biobehavioral data collection using ecological momentary assessment, salivary biomarkers, and accelerometers among middle-aged African Americans. Res Nurs Health. 43(5), 453-463. doi: 10.1002/nur.22068.

Song, M., Nam,S., Buss, J., & Lee, S. J. (2020). Assessing the prevalence of meeting physical activity recommendations among U.S. healthcare workers: Data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey. Arch of Environ Occup Health, 23,1-9 doi: 10.1080/19338244.2020.1743960. online ahead of print.

Song, Y., Ku, B., Cho, J., Jun, Y., Kim, B., & Nam, S. (2019). The prevalence of insulin refusal and psychological insulin resistance among Korean patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Annals of Translational Medicine, 7(23):760. doi: 10.21037/atm.2019.11.77.

Park, C., Nam, S., Redeker, N. S., Shebl, F.M., Dixon, J., Jung, T. T., & Whittemore, R. (2019). The Effects of acculturation and environment on lifestyle behaviors in Korean immigrants: the mediating role of acculturative stress and body image discrepancy. Ethnicity and Health, 19, 1-17.doi: 10.1080/13557858.2019.1658182

Nam, S., Jung, S., Whittemore, R., Latkin, C., Kershaw, T., Redeker, N., Jeon, S., & Vlahov, D. (2019). Social network structures in African American churches: Implications for health promotion programs.Journal of Urban Health, 96(2).doi: 10.1007/s11524-018-00339-9.

Jang, M., Jeon, S.,Nam, S., Song, H., & Whittemore, R. Relationships of obesity-related behavior patterns with socioeconomic status and acculturation in Korean American women. Clinical Nursing Research, 2018 Jun 1:1054773818783467. doi: 10.1177/1054773818783467. [Epub ahead of print]

Nam, S., Song, M., & Lee, S. J. (2018). Relationships of musculoskeletal symptoms, sociodemographics, body mass index, and leisure-time physical activity among nurses. Workplace Health & Safety, 66(12),577-587.

Nam, S., Whittemore, R., Jung, S., Latkin, C., Kershaw, T., & Redeker, N. S. (2018). Physical neighborhood and social environment, beliefs about sleep, sleep hygiene behaviors, and sleep quality among African Americans. Sleep Health: Journal of the National Sleep Foundation, 4(3), 258-264.doi:10.1016/j.sleh.2018.03.002

Joiner, K., Nam, S., & Whittemore, R. (2017). Lifestyle Interventions based on the diabetes prevention program delievered via eHealth: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine, 100,194-207.

Song, Y., Nam, S., Park, S., Shin, I., & Ku, B. (2017). The impact of social support on self-care of patients with diabetes: what is the effect of diabetes type? Systematic review and meta-analysis. Diabetes Educator, 43(3), 396-412.

Jang, M., Grey, M., Sadler, L., Jeon, S., Nam, S., Song, H. J., & Whittemore, R. (2017). Factors associated with school-aged children’s body mass index in Korean American families. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 73(8), 1896-1909. doi: 10.1111/jan.13277.

Park, C., Jang, M., Nam, S., Grey, M., & Whittemore, R. (2018). Church-based recruitment to reach Korean immigrants: An integrative review. Western Journal of Nursing Research,40(9), 1396-1421. doi: 10.1177/0193945917703938

Chin, D. L., Nam, S., & Lee, S. J. (2016). Occupational factors associated with obesity and leisure-time physical activity among nurses: A cross sectional study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 57, 60-69.

Nam, S., Stewart, K. J., & Dobrosielski, D. (2016). Lifestyle intervention for sleep disturbances among overweight or obese individuals. Behavioral Sleep Medicine,14(3), 343-50.

Nam, S., Whittemore, R., Jeon, S., Davey-Rothwell, M. A., & Latkin, C. (2016). High blood pressure and related factors among individuals at high risk of HIV or sexually transmitted infections. Journal of Clinical Hypertension,18(6), 572-80.

Park, C, Nam, S., & Whittemore, R. (2016). Incorporating cultural perspectives into diabetes self-management programs for East Asian Immigrants: A Mixed-study review. J Immigr Mino Health. 19(2), 454-67.

Nam, S., & Whittemore, R. (2016). Health values change over time in people with type 2 diabetes. Evid Based Nurs, doi:10.1136/eb-2015-102234

Nam, S., Redeker, N., & Whittemore, R. (2015). Social networks and future direction for obesity research: A scoping review. Nursing Outlook, 63(3), 299-317.

Nam, S., Whittemore R. (2014). Future directions for worksite cardiovascular risk factor reduction programs to reduce health disparities. Heart and Lung, 43(3), 173-4.

Nam, S., & Song, Y (2014). Role of self-efficacy in the relationship between patient-provider relationships and psychological insulin resistance among patients with type 2 diabetes, Journal of Contemporary Diabetes Research, 1(1), 1-15.

Minges, K. E., Chao, A., Nam, S., Grey, M., & Whittemore, R. (2014). Weight status, gender, and race/ethnicity: Are there differences in meeting recommended health behavior guidelines for adolescents? The Journal of School Nursing, 31(2),135-45.

Nam, S., Song, H., Park, S., & Song, Y. (2013). Challenges of diabetes management in immigrant Korean Americans. Diabetes Educator, 39(2), 213-21.

Nam, S., Janson, S. L., Stotts, N. A., Chesla, C., & Kroon, L. (2012). Effect of culturally-tailored diabetes education in ethnic minorities with type 2 diabetes: A meta-analysis. Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, 27(6), 505-18.

Nam, S., Dobrosielski, D. A., & Stewart, K. J. (2012). Predictors of exercise intervention dropout in sedentary individuals with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention, 32(6), 370-8.

Nam, S., Han, H., Song, H., Song, Y., Kim, K. B., & Kim, M. T. (2011). Utility of point-of-care device in recruiting ethnic minorities and determining eligibility for community-partnered diabetes research. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 22(4), 1253-1263.

Nam, S., Chesla, C., Stotts, N. A., & Kroon, L., & Janson, S. L. (2011). Barriers to diabetes management: Patient and Provider Factors. Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice, 93(1), 1-9.

Nam, S., Chesla, C., Stotts, N. A., Kroon, L. & Janson, S. L. (2010). Factors associated with psychological insulin resistance in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes Care, 33(8), 1747-1749