The Adolescent Health Promotion Lab is overseen by Dr. Elizabeth Weybright, and includes undergraduate Human Development and graduate Prevention Science students. Recognizing adolescence as a critical period of biological, cognitive, and social development, we seek to promote health and prevention risk behavior within out of school time contexts. Using a prevention science framework we work to identify what contributes to healthy adolescent development and use this information to develop and/or refine preventive interventions that promote the health of adolescents and emerging adults.

Research Projects, Programs, and Opportunities
Recent News
May 2022 – Dr. Weybright, students, and staff are representing at SPR!
Dr. Weybright, graduate students Erica Doering, Elizabeth Purser, and Anaderi Iniguez, and research coordinators Kate Hampilos and Kelley Pascoe are involved with the below presentations at this year’s Society for Prevention Research Conference.
- Poster: South African Students’ Perceptions of Healthy and Unhealthy Leisure
- Co-Authors: Lisa Wegner, PhD, Professor, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa, Makhaya Malema, Masters, Lecturer, University Of The Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa, Claudia Wegner, BSc, Masters student, University Of The Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa, Elizabeth Weybright, PhD, Associate Professor, Washington State University, Pullman, WA and Linda Lee Caldwell, PhD, Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Presentation: Shifting the Conversation from Obesity Prevention to Weight Inclusive Health Promotion
- Co-Authors: Alexandra Jackson, PhD, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Washington State University, Seattle, WA, Jane Lanigan, PhD, Professor, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA and Anaderi Iniguez, BA, Graduate Student, Washington State University, Pullman, WA
- Poster: Suicide Prevention and Postvention for Vulnerable Communities in Washington State: Results and Policy Implications from Two Literature Reviews
- Co-authors: Jordan A. Newburg, MA, Elizabeth Purser, BA, Brittany Cooper, PhD, Elizabeth Weybright, PhD3, Kelley Pascoe, MSW, MPH and Katherine Hampilos, ND, MS
- Presentation: Hungry or Bored? Lasting Experiences of Boredom at the Onset of the Pandemic on Eating Behaviors
- Co-authors: Alexandra Jackson, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA, Alana J Anderson, MS, Doctoral Student, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Elizabeth Weybright, PhD, Associate Professor, Washington State University, Pullman, WA and Jane Lanigan, PhD, Professor, Washington State University, Vancouver, WA
- Presentation: The Role of Boredom Susceptibility in the Frequency of Substance Use Among College Students
- Co-authors: Erica Doering, MS, Doctoral Student, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Elizabeth Weybright, PhD, Associate Professor, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Kyle Murphy, MS, Doctoral Candidate, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Sammy Perone, PhD, Assistant Professor, Washington State University, Pullman, WA and Linda Lee Caldwell, PhD, Professor, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Presentation: Cooperative Extension As a “Missing Piece” of Opioid Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Efforts in Rural Communities.
- Co-authors: Elizabeth Weybright, PhD, Associate Professor, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Katherine Hampilos, ND, MS, Associate, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Erica Doering, MS, Doctoral Student, Washington State University, Pullman, WA and Michael G. McDonell, PhD, Associate Director, Washington State University, Spokane, WA
April 2022
Dr. Weybright receives CAHNRS award!
- Dr. Weybright is the recipient of the CAHNRS Faculty Excellence in Extension award. She was recognized at the awards banquet in April. See information on all award winners here: https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/article/excellence-across-cahnrs-honored-in-22-faculty-and-staff-awards/
New article alert!
- Dr. Weybright co-authored an article with Penn State and University of Idaho colleagues on young adult perceptions of healthy and unhealthy leisure. Read the article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02614367.2022.2055773
- Dr. Weybright is part of a team of investigators looking at firearm research. A new publication led by Dr. Alice Ellyson in JAMA Network Open titled: Trajectories of handgun carrying in rural communities from early adolescence to young adulthood. Read the article here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2790618
March 2022
CROP+TR wins award and lab members presented their research at SRA and TALS!
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Dr. Weybright, graduate students, and colleagues, accept the SRA award. On behalf of CROP+TR, Dr. Weybright accepted the Organizational Award for Excellence in Research and Programming for Youth from the Society for Research on Adolescence. See full story here: https://news.cahnrs.wsu.edu/youth-led-action-to-heal-opioid-epidemic-earns-society-honors-for-croptr/
- Dr. Weybright and graduate students presented at the 2022 Society for Research on Adolescence conference in New Orleans.
- Doering, E., Weybright, E., Caldwell, L. (2022, March). “Mom, I am SO bored!”: The role of parents in adolescent boredom.
- Weybright, E., Hampilos, K., Doering, E., Larkin, T., White, A., Varrella, G., Fees, J., Greer, M., Purser, E., & McDonell, M. (2022, March). Youth participatory action research for substance use prevention.
- Hampilos, K., Weybright, E., Diaz Martinez, A., Cooper, B., Pascoe, K., DiGennaro, S., Leach, J., Varrella, G., & Fees, J. (2022, March). Pivoting an evidence-based program for virtual delivery: A case study of Washington State’s Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14.
- Graduate student Erica Doering presented at the Academy of Leisure Sciences virtual conference and Dr. Jen Agans presented work co-authored by Dr. Weybright.
- Doering, E. L., Weybright, E., Caldwell, L., & Perone, S. (2022, March). “Can’t you see that I’m getting bored?”: College Students’ Conceptualization of Boredom.
- Agans, J. P., Son, J. S., Powers, S. L., Hanna, S. R., Weybright, E. H. (2022, March). Profiles of leisure constraints and negotiation among college students: A person-centered analysis. Recording here: https://psu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/Jen+Agans%27s+Personal+Meeting+Room/1_44z0x32z
Dr. Weybright featured in Dr. Universe.
- Dr. Weybright was featured in Dr. Universe to talk about why we feel bored. See the full post here: https://askdruniverse.wsu.edu/2022/03/04/people-feelings-like-boredom-happiness-sadness-love/
October 2021
Weybright receives funding to support youth participatory action research.
- Dr. Weybright and Extension colleagues received funding from the Washington State Health Care Authority to support youth providers in implementing youth participatory action research.
More publicity for CROP+TR youth research!
- YPAR youth were highlighted in the Sequim Gazette. See story here: https://www.sequimgazette.com/life/x-14/
July 2021 – Weybright reappointed as Unit Director
- Dr. Weybright has been reappointed as Interim Director of Extension’s Youth and Families Program Unit through June 30th, 2022.
June 2021 – CROP+TR youth efforts in the news!
- As part of CROP+TR, we are facilitating a youth participatory action research project where we engage youth as community researchers to address opioids within their community. Spokane youth were featured in a KHQ local news story found here.
May 2021 – Congratulations to doctoral student Faith Price on receiving two awards!
- Faith recently was awarded a Minority Travel Award to virtually attend the Society for Prevention Research annual conference in June.
- Faith was awarded the Charles Allen Master’s Thesis award, a WSU Graduate School scholarship.
March 2021 –
Congratulations to student presenters and award winners at WSU Showcase!
Multiple students had presentations accepted at the 2021 Virtual Academic Showcase including:
- 1st Place Winner and Graduate Student Erica Doering – “Can’t you see that I’m getting bored?”: College Student’s Conceptualization of Boredom
- 3rd Place Winner and Graduate Student Elizabeth Purser – “I’ve been flourishing”: The association between flourishing and substance use in college students.
- Graduate Student Faith Price – Marijuana use and American Indian/Alaska Native youth in Washington state.
- Research Proposal Early Career Award Winner and Undergraduate McNair Student April Salmeron-Lauriano – Family Contributors in Adolescent Alcohol Use of Latinx Communities
New Article Alert!
- An article co-authored by Dr. Weybright in collaboration with Extension is out in the Journal of Youth Development. Titled”Using the 4-H Essential Elements to Evaluate Teen Programming,” this article reviews evaluation results from WA State 4-H teens from the perspective of the 4-H Essential Elements and provides implications for future programming. Find the full text here: https://jyd.pitt.edu/ojs/jyd/article/view/21-16-1-FA-3
Weybright presents to WA House Commerce and Gaming Committee
- Dr. Weybright presented to a work session of the House Commerce and Gaming committee along with colleagues from DBHR and UW on the effectiveness of programs to prevent youth access to and use of alcohol, cannabis, tobacco, and vapor products. See video here: https://www.tvw.org/watch/?clientID=9375922947&eventID=2021031341
February 2021 – Weybright’s work on boredom highlighted in Washington State Magazine
- See the full story here: https://magazine.wsu.edu/2021/02/17/this-is-the-most-bored-ive-ever-been-in-my-life/ as well as news outlet clips here: https://www.q13fox.com/video/884209 and here: https://www.kxly.com/wsu-researcher-studies-boredom-during-the-pandemic/.