Kaigang Li

• Associate professor at Colorado State University

Objective: To contextually examine facilitators of young driver decisions to ride with an impaired driver (RWI) or drive while impaired (DWI). Methods: Data were from the NIH's NEXT Generation Health Study (NEXT), a 7-year longitudinal nationally representative study with a U.S. probability cohort of 10th graders starting in 2009-2010. Using a m...

In 2021, there were 11.7 million licensed young drivers in the U.S. This is 1.5 million fewer young drivers compared to 2007. The phenomenon of delay in driving licensure among teens has notable implications for opportunities positioning them for life success when transitioning into emerging adulthood and in later life.

As the emerging treatments that target grey matter pathology in Alzheimer's Disease have limited effectiveness, there is a critical need to identify new neural targets for treatments. White matter's (WM) metabolic vulnerability makes it a promising candidate for new interventions. This study examined the age and sex differences in estimates of axon...

Background As the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown in March 2020, reports indicate reduced physical activity (PA), increased sitting time (ST), and higher stress in various groups. It remains uncertain if these patterns persist in college students. This study aimed to discover trends in vigorous PA (VPA), moderate PA (MPA), li...

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of conditions that affects ∼25% of the global population, including excess adiposity, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and elevated blood pressure. MetS is one of major risk factors not only for chronic diseases, but also for dementia and cognitive dysfunction, although the underlying mechanisms remain poorly unde...

This study used a daily diary approach to examine associations between day-level physical activity (PA) behavior, PA-specific motivational profile, and days since the COVID-19 national emergency declaration during the early months (April–June 2020) of the pandemic. A total of 468 US adults ( M age = 34.8 y, 79% female) participated in a 28-day smar...

Despite overwhelming adoption of wearable fitness trackers (WFT), it is unclear if they affect physical activity (PA) engagement or PA motivation. We hypothesized that combining a WFT with an effective intervention, motivational interviewing (MI), would positively influence both motivation and PA. A 12-week randomized controlled trial was conducted...

Background Unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and social disconnection are important modifiable risk factors for non-communicable and other chronic diseases, which might be alleviated through nature-based community interventions. We tested whether a community gardening intervention could reduce these common health risks in an adult population tha...

Characterizing the sleep-wake cycle in adolescents is an important prerequisite to better understand the association of abnormal sleep patterns with subsequent clinical and behavioral outcomes. The aim of this research was to develop hidden Markov models (HMM) that incorporate both objective (actigraphy) and subjective (sleep log) measures to estim...

The AgingPLUS program targets negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) as one mechanism to increase physical activity (PA) in adults. This study utilized a mediation model to examine the effect of AgingPLUS on subsequent PA with SPA included as a mediator. Data came from 184 participants (Mage = 59.91 years; SDage = 8.14 years) from the ongoing tri...

Characterizing the sleep-wake cycle in adolescents is an important prerequisite to better understand the association of abnormal sleep patterns with subsequent clinical and behavioral outcomes. The aim of this research was to develop hidden Markov models (HMM) that incorporate both objective (actigraphy) and subjective (sleep log) measures to estim...

Objective The objectives of the current study were to (1) characterize predictors of perceived risk of driving within 2 h of cannabis use and driving after cannabis use in a sample of adults who have used cannabis in the past year and (2) determine whether the influence of these predictors vary by state legalizations status. Methods Data for this...

In the United States, nearly 28 people die in alcohol–related motor vehicle crashes every day (1 fatality every 52 min). Over decades, states have enacted multiple laws to reduce such fatalities. From 1982 to 2019, the proportion of drivers in fatal crashes with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above 0.01 g/dl declined from 41% to 22%. States va...

Objective To provide updated information about the prevalence, patterns, and predicting factors of Tai Chi and Qigong (TCQ) use among U.S. adults to better inform the future directions of TCQ application and research. Methods Using 2007, 2012, and 2017 National Health Interview Survey, we examined the trends and characteristics of TCQ use by descr...

Objective: To compare physical activity (PA), sitting time, and substance use pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 pandemic among US college students. Participants: 484 students from a large Western university (20.6 ± 1.4 years, 80.0% female) were recruited. Methods: Self-reported online surveys were completed in June-August 2020. T-tests and non-param...

Objective: This study used a daily diary approach to examine associations between day-level physical activity (PA) behavior, PA-specific motivational profile, and days since the COVID-19 national emergency declaration during the early months (April-June 2020) of the pandemic. Method: A total of 475 U.S. adults (Mage=34.9 years, 78% female) particip...

Objective: To examine the association of perceived stress [PS] with physical activity [PA] and sitting time [ST], before and during COVID-19 among US college students. Participants: 592 students from a large Western university (19.08 ± 4.62 years, 76.69% female, 79.39% White) were recruited. Methods: Self-reported online survey was completed in Ju...

Purpose: Driving licensure remains a major developmental milestone for adolescents as they become more independent to access important health, education, and employment opportunities. Today, more teens are delaying driving licensure than before. We investigated associations of delayed licensure with health, education, and employment 4 years after h...

Introduction For young drivers, independent transportation has been noted to offer them opportunities that can be beneficial as they enter early adulthood. However, those that choose to engage in riding with an impaired driver (RWI) and drive while impaired (DWI) over time can face negative consequences reducing such opportunities. This study exami...

Background To characterize emerging adults’ drinking trajectories and their prospective association with later behavior, health, education, and work outcomes in later young adulthood. Methods This study used a selected cohort (N=1622) from rounds 3 - 10 (aged 18 - 25), 11 (aged 26), 14 (aged 29), and 17 (aged 34) of the US National Longitudinal Su...

Background The proportion of motor vehicle crash fatalities involving alcohol-impaired drivers declined substantially between 1982 and 1997, but progress stopped after 1997. The systemic complexity of alcohol-impaired driving contributes to the persistence of this problem. This study aims to identify and map key feedback mechanisms that affect alco...

This study examined the effect of the AgingPLUS program on anticipated physical activity (PA) and PA engagement, along with the hypothesized mediator roles of self-efficacy (SE) and exercise intention (EI). Data came from 147 participants (Mage = 60.11 years; SD = 8.28 years) of the ongoing trial. Structural equation modeling tested the effects of...

This paper investigated whether the AgingPLUS program promotes physical activity in middle-aged and older adults by examining outcomes at weeks 4 and 8 with baseline scores included as covariates. The analyses assessed intervention effects on negative views of aging (NVOA), physical activity (CHAMPS), physical function (SPPB, VO2max), and accelerom...

The AgingPLUS program targets three psychological mechanisms that are known barriers to middle-aged and older adults’ engagement in physical activity (PA): Negative views of Aging (NVOA), low self-efficacy beliefs, and poor goal planning skills. These risk factors are addressed in a 4-week intervention program that is compared to a generic health e...

Background Emerging evidence from clinical studies suggests that Tai Chi and Qi Gong (TCQ) are beneficial for various health issues among a wide range of population. However, little is known about the trends and characteristics of TCQ use within the past decades at the national level. The purpose of this study was to provide updated information abo...

Objective: This exploratory study aimed to examine associations between executive function and simulated and self-reported driving behavior among young adults with and without a history of prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE). Methods: Young adult drivers with PCE (n = 38) and with no drug exposure (NDE; n = 25) were recruited from an ongoing longitudin...

Introduction: There is consensus that riding with an impaired driver (RWI) constitutes a major threat to public health. The aim of this study was to characterize the factors contributing to the motor-vehicle deaths of 15-20 year-old (y/o) passengers that RWI with a peer. Method: Secondary analyses of the 2010-2018 Fatality Analysis Reporting Sys...

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify trajectory classes of risky driving among emerging adults and examine predictive associations of depressive and psychosomatic symptoms in the 12th grade with the identified trajectory classes. Methods: Data were from the last year in high school (12th-Grade - Wave 3 [W3]) and years 1–4 after high school (Waves 4-7 [W...

Objective: Novice drivers who delay in driving licensure may miss safety benefits of Graduate Driver Licensing (GDL) programs, potentially putting themselves at higher crash-risk. Time to licensure relates their access to independent transportation to potential future economic- and educational-related opportunities. The objective of this study was...

Introduction Some of the most vulnerable groups of teens choose to delay driving licensure (DDL). We assessed longitudinal associations between state-level Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) restrictions and DDL among U.S. high school students. Methods Data from seven waves of the NEXT Generation Health Study (starting 10th-grade (2009–2010)), were...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify and characterize trajectory classes of adolescents who ride with an impaired driver (RWI) and drive while impaired (DWI). Methods: We analyzed all 7 annual assessments (Waves W1-W7) of the NEXT Generation Health Study, a nationally representative longitudinal study starting with 10th grade (2009...

We examined the associations of autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and physical activity (PA) planning with PA participation over six years across the adolescent-to-adult transition. Participants from the NEXT Generation Health Study, a nationally representative cohort study of U.S. 10th graders (N=2785), completed surveys yearly from 20...

Objectives: We validated a continuous cardiometabolic risk (CMR) measure among adolescents. Methods: Five metabolic syndrome (MetS) components including waist circumference, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting blood glucose, and mean arterial pressure were assessed in a national cohort of U.S. adolescents (n=560; 16.5 ±...

Background Teens who delay driving licensure may not be subject to graduated driver licensing restrictions that are known to reduce crash risk. We explored the association of delay in licensure with driving while impaired (DWI) and riding with an impaired driver (RWI) among emerging adults. Methods Data from the NEXT Generation Health Study, start...

Wearable fitness trackers (WFTs), like Fitbits, are intended to support physical activity (PA) engagement. It is unclear, however, how WFTs impact both PA and motivation for PA as described by the Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This study examined PA and PA motivation in former and current WFT users using a mixed-methods design, consisting of a s...

Objective To systematically review the impacts of Wearable Fitness Trackers (WFTs), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Self Determination Theory (SDT)–based interventions on physical activity (PA) and motivation for PA. Data Source Manuscripts published between 2008 and 2018 in PubMed, Web of Science, CABAbstracts, and SPORTDiscus database were r...

Objective Examined cross-sectional associations of driving while impaired (DWI) and risky driving with mental and psychosomatic health among U.S. emerging adults. Methods Data were from years 1–4 after high school (waves 4–7) of the NEXT Generation Health Study, a nationally representative study starting with 10th grade (2009–2010). Outcome variab...

The purpose of this study was to compare activPAL algorithm-estimated values for time in bed (TIB), wake time (WT) and bedtime (BT) against self-report and an algorithm developed by van der Berg and colleagues. Secondary analyses of baseline data from the Community Activity for Prevention Study (CAPs) were used in which adults ≥ 18 years wore the a...

Physical Activity (PA) Guidelines for Americans recommend engagement in moderate or moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for middle-aged and older adults. Although these guidelines encourage adults to “move more and sit less,” there are no explicit recommendations for engaging in Light PA (LPA). The purpose of this study was to examine the...

Objective : To validate and compare the accuracy of energy expenditure (EE) and step counts measured by ActiGraph accelerometers (ACT) at dominant and nondominant wrist and hip sites. Methods : Thirty young adults (15 females, age 22.93 ± 3.30 years) wore four ActiGraph wGT3X accelerometers while walking and running on a treadmill for 7 min at seve...

Objective To examine the relationship between patterns of alcohol use, as determined by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, and vehicle control measures in high fidelity driving simulation among adult sober drivers. Methods Baseline data (BAC = 0.00%; N = 108) from a larger study aimed at using high-fidelity driving simulation (National...

Introduction: Prior research shows that physicians in training are at risk for drowsy driving following their clinical duties, which may put them in danger of experiencing adverse driving events. This study explores the relationship between sleepiness, overall sleep hygiene, level of training, and adverse driving events following an overnight shif...

Introduction Some teens may intentionally delay their driving licensure until age 18 or later, thereby skipping the learning and driver safety benefits provided by graduated driver licensing (GDL) programs. Delaying driving initiation could elevate teen crash risk once they begin driving. This study compares the prevalence of alcohol use and speedi...

Objective: Characterize firefighters' acute stress and tiredness by duty status (i.e. "off night/day", "on night/day"). Methods: 39 career firefighters completed three, eight-day smartphone-based ecological momentary assessment periods with seven surveys per day assessing stress and tiredness. Mixed-effects location scale models examined duty st...

Background Negative views of aging (NVOA), low self-efficacy beliefs, and poor goal planning skills represent risk factors that undermine adults' motivation to engage in physical activity (PA). Targeting these three risk factors may motivate adults to become physically active. Objective To assess the efficacy of AgingPLUS, a 4-week educational pro...

Purpose More teens delay in driving licensure (DDL). It is conceivable they miss Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) safety benefits. We assessed prevalence, disparities, and factors associated with DDL among emerging adults. Methods Data used were from all seven waves (W1–7) of the NEXT Generation Health Study (W1 in 10th grade [2009–2010]). The out...

Aim: We explored the feasibility of collecting and analyzing human microbiome data in a longitudinal randomized controlled trial of community gardening. Methods & materials: Participants were randomly assigned to gardening (N = 8) or control (N = 8). Participants provided stool, mouth, hand and forehead microbiome samples at six timepoints. Analyse...

Objective: To study the longitudinal associations of 12th-grade binge drinking with driving while impaired (DWI), riding with an impaired driver (RWI), blackouts, extreme binge drinking, and risky driving (self-reported Checkpoints Risky Driving Scale) among emerging adults up to 4 years after leaving high school. Methods: The data were all 7 wa...

Objectives: Despite the increasing use of meditation and evidence-based support for its benefits, however, little is known about the characteristics of meditation use among the pediatric population in the U.S. The purpose of the study is to examine the characteristics of various meditation use (i.e., mantra, mindful, and spiritual meditation) among...

Background and Objectives: Emerging evidence indicates that a variety of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies may be beneficial to children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in reducing their symptoms. However, little is known about the characteristics of CAM use among this specific population, especially at the...

Background/Purpose: Studies suggest teens may be intentionally delaying driving licensure (DDL) to avoid mandatory Graduated Driver Licensing restrictions (e.g., passengers, nighttime driving) that are known to reduce crash risk. This may increase risky driving and injury/fatal crashes. We assessed the prevalence, disparities, and factors associate...

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the variability in vehicle control for sober young adult drivers (18–23 years old) who either use cannabis but are not acutely exposed or do not use cannabis. Methods: The data analyzed in the study were from 4 prospective driving simulation studies (completed at the National Advanced Driving Si...

Objective: To describe and evaluate recruitment approaches for a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of community gardening in Denver, Colorado. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03089177). Methods: We used community and staff feedback to adapt our recruitment approach from year 1 to year 2 of a multi-year RCT to address health behaviors related to cancer p...

Objective: This study examined longitudinal associations between college attendance, residence on- or off-campus, and work status during the first 2 years after high school with extreme binge drinking at 4 years after high school and tested peer drinking and personal income at 3 years after high school as mediators. Method: Data were drawn from...

Background : The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of heart rate (HR) and energy expenditure (EE) estimated by the Apple Watch Series 1 worn both on the wrist and the upper arm. Methods : Thirty healthy, young adults (15 females) wore the two monitors while participating in a maximal exercise test. Criterion measures were obtained f...

Introduction: As a major determinant of obesity and cardiovascular disease in the United States, decreasing physical activity (PA) has led researchers to study factors influencing daily PA. One opportunity for modifying PA is in relation to transportation to and from school and/or work. We examined the association between characteristics of the bu...

One in four deaths in the US is caused by cardiovascular disease (CVD), and early detection may be a key aspect of prevention. We assessed the probability of a first hard atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) event within 10 years in US Non-Hispanic White and African American population aged 40–79 years. With data from 16 years of the Nati...

Objectives: In this study, we sought to determine the accuracy of energy expenditure (EE) esti- mation for the Fitbit Charge HR 2 (Fitbit) and the Apple Watch. Design: An observational study. Methods: Thirty young adults (15 men and 15 women, aged 23.5 ± 2.96 years) completed the Bruce treadmill protocol. We measured gross EE by a PARVO metabolic c...

Teenage passengers might influence risky driving, particularly in certain mental states. Notably, social exclusion could increase social conformity. Two studies examined simulated intersection management among young drivers after a social exclusion activity (Cyberball). In Study 1 [112 males (mean = 17.3 years)], risky driving was significantly gre...

Introduction: Self-reported height and weight may lead to inaccurate estimates of associations between BMI and health indicators. The purpose of this study is to assess anthropometric misreporting in emerging adults, compare weight classification by self-reported and direct measures, and examine associations of self-reported and direct measures wi...

Objectives: In this study we examined the moderation effects of child attributes on the relationship between parent perception of child coordination, physical activity (PA) parenting practices, child enjoyment of PA, and child PA participation and examined the mediation effects of PA parenting practices and child PA enjoyment on the association bet...

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to examine the characteristics and temporal trends of Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qi Gong (YTQ) use among U.S. adults. Methods: Using the 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017 National Health Interview Surveys (NHIS), we examined the prevalence, patterns, and predicting factors of YTQ use by Taylor series linear regression, Wald...

Objectives: The purpose of the study is to examine the characteristics of various types of meditation use (i.e., mantra, mindful, and spiritual meditation) among U.S. children. Methods: Using 2017 National Health Interview Survey, we examined the prevalence, patterns, and potential predictors of meditation use among U.S. children aged 4 to 17 year...

This study compared heart rate (HR) measurements for the Fitbit Charge HR 2 (Fitbit) and the Apple Watch devices with HR measurements for electrocardiogram (ECG). Thirty young adults (15/15 females/males, age 23.5 ± 3.0 years) completed the Bruce Protocol. HR measurements were recorded from the ECG and both devices every minute. Average HR for each...

Studies have demonstrated that community gardening is associated with improved physical health through improving food security, increasing fruit and vegetable intake, increasing physical activity, and healthy weight status. However, no randomized controlled trials have been conducted to assess if these effects are causal. This study was conducted t...

Previous health studies have focused on the correlation between socioeconomic status (SES) and health. We pooled data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (N = 9765) conducted in 2011, and examined the association of SES and health-related behavior with elderly health in China. The cumulative health disadvantage of the elderly cau...

Abstract Background Mental health issues in children have become a serious public health concern in the U.S. within the past few decades. Emerging evidence suggests that Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) can be beneficial for various mental health issues. However, little is known about the prevalence, reasons, and associated factors of C...

Background: Engaging in health-promoting behaviors (e.g., healthy fruit- and vegetable-rich diet, physical activity) and living in supportive social and built environments are consistently and significantly associated with reductions in cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Interventions to change diet and physical activity...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and covariates among emerging adults of riding with an impaired peer or older adult driver (RWI) because of marijuana (MJ), alcohol (ALC), or illicit drugs (ID). Method: Data were from Waves 4 (W4, N = 2,085) and 5 (W5, N = 2,116) of the NEXT Generation Health Study, collected in...

Background: It has been documented that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in on-duty firefighters and little is known about the association between cardiorespiratory fitness and 10-year risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD). Aims: To estimate the probability of 10-year ASCVD risk and its association with p...

Objective: We examined the association between body weight status at all levels (including underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity) and bullying victimization among US ado- lescents using a nationally representative data. Methods: We used logistic regression to exam- ine the association between bullying victimization and body weight...

Objectives: Cannabis has been used for medicinal purpose for thousands of years; however the positive and negative effects of cannabis use in Parkinson's disease (PD) and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) are mostly unknown. Our aim was to assess cannabis use in PD and MS and compare results of self-reported assessments of neurological disability between cu...

Objectives Children with special health care needs (SHCN) have or are at elevated risk for chronic physical, developmental, behavioral or emotional conditions and therefore require specialized health care services. This study examines the relationship between residential neighborhood amenities and physical activity among U.S. children with SHCN. Me...