Kashica Webber-Ritchey
she/her/hersBIO
My research focuses on addressing health disparities in underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, including health promotion in vulnerable and marginalized populations and nursing practice. My primary area of research is childhood obesity using a parent-child dyadic approach to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors such as physical activity and diet. My current related work includes a mixed-methods project, with a significant grant funded through the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Diversity (Supplement Award- 3R01DK132698-01) as part of a parent study, Black Girls Move (2023-2025). I have extensive experience in the quantitative and qualitative research methodology and rigorous development, implementation, and evaluation of digital surveys.
Specialization and Interests:
- Childhood Obesity Prevention
- Healthy Lifestyle: Healthy Diet and Physical Activity Promotion
- Public Health
- Health Disparities
- Nursing Practice
Awards and Honors:
- 2025 Recipient of the College of Science and Health Excellence in Research Committee, Mid-Career Excellence in Research Award
- 2024 Fellow, Illinois Board of Higher Education, Nurse Educator Fellowship
- 2024 Fellow, American Heart Association (FAHA)
- 2023 Recipient of the DePaul University Provost's Award for Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion awarded to the "Nursing During COVID-19" Research Team
- 2022 Feleta Wilson Award, American Public Health Association, Public Health Nursing Section
- 2020 DePaul Woman of Spirit and Action Award
- 2014 Nominated for the Mary Opal Wolanin Award for research pertaining to vulnerable populations
Selected Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles:
Coauthor coding: *Denotes Student
Childhood Obesity Prevention
Reed, M., Banks, T., Halloway, S., Julion, K., Kitsiou, S., Schoeny, M., Swanson, B., Tangney, C., Webber-Ritchey, K., Wilbur, J., Wilhelm, K., Yeager, C.*, & Julion, W. (2025). Rationale and design of a race-conscious, school-linked, pilot randomized controlled trial to improve physical activity and dietary behaviors of Black adolescent daughter/mother dyads. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 156, 107996. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2025.107996
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Habtezghi, D., Wu, Xiaoxia*, & Samek, A. (2023). Examining the association between parental factors and childhood obesity. Journal of Community Health Nursing. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 40(2), 94-105. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370016.2022.2125809
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Muellar, M.*, & Smith Carter, J. (2021). Examining current physical activity interventions in Black school-age children and parents: A systematic review. Preventive Medicine, 153, 106814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106814
Reed, M., Wilbur, J., Tangney, C., Schoeny, M., Miller, A., & Webber-Ritchey, K.J. (2021). Development of an obesity prevention intervention for adolescent African American daughters and their mothers. Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living, 1(2). https://doi.org/10.51250/jheal.v1i2.14
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Taylor-Piliae, R., & Loescher, L.J. (2020). Recruiting African American parents of young children in a physical activity study: Lessons learned. Chronic Illness. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742395320928389
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Taylor-Piliae, R., & Loescher, L.J. (2018). Physical activity in parents of young African American children: The application of Social Cognitive Theory. Research and Theory for Nursing Practice, 32(1), 63-81. doi: 10.1891/0000-000Y.32.1.63
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Taylor-Piliae, R., Insel, K., & Loescher, L.J. (2016). Physical activity among African American parents of young children: Personal and environmental factors. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 47(6), 523-544. doi:10.7352/IJSP.2016.47.523.
Webber, K.J. & Loescher, L.J. (2013). A systematic review of parent role modeling of healthy eating and physical activity to prevent childhood overweight among African Americans. Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 173-188. doi: 10.1111/jspn.12033
Physical Activity Promotion
Jerome, G.J., Boyer, W., Bustamante, E., Kariuki, J., Lopez-Jimenez, F., Paluch, A.E., Swift, D., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Gibbs, B.B, & on behalf the American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Committee on Physical Activity, Council on Cardiovascular Nursing, Council on Clinical Cardiology, and Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease. (2023). Increasing equity of physical activity promotion for optimal cardiovascular health. A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 147, e1-e12. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001148
Lane-Cordova, A.D, Jerome, G.J., Paluch, A. E., Bustamante, E.E., LaMonte, M.J., Pate, R.R., Weaver, G., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Gibbs, B.B, and on behalf of the Committee on Physical Activity of the American Heart Association Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health. (2021). Supporting physical activity in patients and populations during life events and transitions: A scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, e1-12. https://doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000001035
Moxley, E., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., & Hayman, L. (2021). Global impact of physical inactivity and implications for public health nursing. Public Health Nursing. doi: 10.1111/phn.12958
Health Promotion
Basaka, L.*, Palmisano, C. & Webber-Ritchey, K.J. (2025). Exploring patient knowledge and perspectives to inform the development of a pre-diabetes education toolkit: A cross-sectional survey. Journal of Community Health Nursing, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370016.2025.2517677
Pehr-Szeliga, D*, Rutkowski, A*, Neuman, N., Amer, K., & Webber-Ritchey, K.J. (2024). Strategies to guide paediatric type 1 diabetes management and transition of care: A state-of-the-art review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 10.1111/jan.16666. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16666
Farr, A.*, Smith Carter, J., & Webber-Ritchey, K.J. (2024). Relationships among the endorsement of superwoman schema and health outcomes. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecological, & Neonatal Nursing, S0884-2175(24)00259-4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jogn.2024.07.005
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Spurlark, R., Lofton, S., Brown, E., R., Lattner, C., Nwafor, G.*, Ponder, T.N.*, & Simonovich, S.D. (2022, December). Exploring the experience of Black nurses practicing during COVID-19: A qualitative descriptive study. The Association of Black Nursing Faculty Foundation (ABNFF) Journal,1(5), 76-86.
Roat, C*., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Spurlark, R., & Lee, Y.M. (2022). Barriers to Black Americans receiving the COVID-19 vaccine and effective strategies to overcome barriers: An integrative literature review. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-022-01437-w
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Simonovich, S. D., Spurlark, R. (2021). COVID-19: Conducting research with vulnerable populations. Nursing Science Quarterly, 34(1), 13-19. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318420965225
Simonovich, S.D., Spurlark, R., Badowski, D., Krawczyk, S., Socco, C., Ponder, T.N.*, Rhyner, D.*, Waid, R.*, Aquino, E., Lattner, C., Mueller Wiesemann, L., Webber-Ritchey, K.J, & Tariman, J.D. (2021). Examining effective communication in nursing practice during COVID-19: A large-scale qualitative study. International Nursing Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12690
Webber-Ritchey, K.J. & Lane-Cordova, A. (2021). COVID-19: Health disparities and COVID-19 pandemic: Increasing clinical research participation among African Americans. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice,14(2), Article 5. https://digitalscholarship.unlv.edu/jhdrp/vol14/iss2/5
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Aquino, E., Ponder, T*., Lattner, C., Soco, C., Spurlark, R., & Simonovich, S.D. (2021). Recruitment strategies to optimize participation by diverse populations. Nursing Science Quarterly. 34(1), 235-243. doi: 10.1177/08943184211010471
Nursing Practice
Iheduru‐Anderson, K., Alexander, K., Mathews, N., Ugorji, J., Ramdin, V., Akanegbu, C., McCoy, K., Okoro, F., McCamey, D., Calvert, W., Webber-Ritchey, K. (2025). From Bedside to Classroom: An autoethnography of the mentoring experiences of BIPOC nurse faculty from transition to tenure and promotion. Global Qualitative Nursing Research. 12, 23333936251369439. https://doi.org/10.1177/23333936251369439
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Ally, F., Galura, S., Buck, J., Brockway, C., Chipps, E., Ponder, T., Simonovich, S. D., Spurlark, R. S., Vancil, B., & Monutro, C. (2025). Identifying fraudulent responses and imposters in research recruitment of subjects through social media. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 55(7), 388-394. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000001596
Iheduru-Anderson, K., Alexander, K., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Atkins, R., Ramdin, V.A., Calvert, W.J., Ugorji, J., McCamey, D., Okoro, F., & Johnson, V.J. (2024). Voices of resilience: An autoethnographic exploration of the contributions of Black nursing faculty in nursing education. The Association of Black Nursing Faculty Foundation (ABNFF) Journal. 1(2), 17-39.
Johnson, V., Ramdin, V.A., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Iheduru-Anderson, K., Ford, C.D., Alexander, K., White-Evans, S., Okoro, F. Whitaker-Brown, C., Broome, B., & Fletcher, A. (2023). Mentoring Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) nursing faculty toward leadership excellence: A concept analysis with historical research. The Association of Black Nursing Faculty Foundation (ABNFF) Journal, 2(1), 33-55.
Lee, Y.M., Aquino, E., Bishop-Royse, J., Spawn, N., & Webber-Ritchey, K.J. (2022). Predictors associated with new nursing faculty's intent to leave nursing academia: Teaching preparation in doctoral program, institutional supports, and job satisfaction. International Journal of Nursing Education,19(1). doi:10.1515/ijnes-2021-0148.
Badowski, D., Spurlark, R.S., Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Ponder, T.N.*, Simonovich, S.D. (2021). Envisioning nursing education for post COVID-19 world: Qualitative findings from the frontline. Journal of Nursing Education, 60(12), 668-673. doi:10.3928/01484834-20211004-03.
Webber-Ritchey, K.J., Badowski, D., & Gibbons, L. (2020, November/December). An online asynchronous physical assessment lab (OAPAL) for graduate nursing students using low-fidelity simulation with peer feedback. Nursing Education Perspectives, 41(6), 378-379. doi: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000677
Complete List of Published Work in My Bibliography: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/myncbi/kashica.webber-ritchey.1/bibliography/public/
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=f-Zd6gQAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
Professional Memberships:
Society of Pediatric Psychology Anti-Racism Research Subgroup Monthly Meeting, 2024-Present
- National Physical Activity Society (currently known as Physical Activity Alliance), Member 2020-2021
- Research Mentoring Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing, Committee Member, 7/2022-6/2024; Chair Elect, 7/2025-6/2027
- Member, Council Operations Committee (COC) Mid-Career Committee Commission, 12/2024-6/30/2026
- Student Nursing Association of Illinois (SNAI)-Co-Consultant, February 2021-2024
- Committee Member, Physical Activity Section: Research Committee Meeting, 2022-Present
- Committee Member, Public Health Nursing (PHN) Section: Diversity and Social Justice, 2023-Present
- Committee Member, PHN Section: Awards, 2023-Present
- Section Councilor, Public Health Nursing Section (PHN), Elected for 3-year term, 2022-2025.
- Secretary for State Coordinators' Committee, 2021-2022
- Member, Research Committee, 2021-Present
- Family Health Research & Implementation Interest Group (RIIG), Member, February 2024-Present
- 2024-2025: Chair-Elect
- 2025-2026: Chair
- Health Promoting Behaviors Across the Lifespan RIIG, Member, 2024-Present
- Beta Mu Chapter: Member, 2007-2021
- Zeta Sigma Chapter: Member, 2021-Present
SAGE Open Nursing, Editorial Board Member/Reviewer Board Member, January 2024-Present
Frontiers in Public Health, Editorial Board Member/Reviewer Board Member, August 2023-Present