Dr. Karen D’Alonzo is an Associate Professor in the Division of Nursing Science at Rutgers University School of Nursing.  Using a lens of community based participatory research (CBPR), her research focuses on health promotion and cardiovascular (CV) risk reduction in diverse groups of women; acculturation stress, allostatic load and immigrant health; and community health worker (CHW)- facilitated interventions. In the nursing community, Dr. D’Alonzo is considered an expert in CBPR issues. Data from her NIH-funded studies have contributed to establishing community engagement and CBPR as priorities at Rutgers

In her early research focused on immigrant Latinos in New Brunswick, NJ, Dr. D’Alonzo used lay community health workers — promotoras de salud –to promote increased physical fitness, leading to reduced obesity rates and better long-term health. Her K01 funded study also examined how acculturation stress impacted physical health, and at how traditional marianismo beliefs, or prioritization of the needs of family members above one’s own, might constitute barriers to healthy lifestyles among Hispanic immigrant women. Women who completed the intervention showed significant improvements in daily physical activity levels, body mass index, and aerobic fitness, along with greater muscle strength and flexibility.  Her research demonstrated that other traditional Latino cultural values such as personalismo and confianza, which emphasize the importance of close personal relationships, were key to the program’s acceptance and should be considered when culturally tailoring health promotion interventions among Hispanic immigrants.

Dr. D’Alonzo noted that many of the women in the Mexican immigrant community reported gaining large amounts of weight following immigration to the US. Although dietary charges and a lack of physical activity were contributory factors, Dr. D’Alonzo posited that acculturation stress might play a major role in weight gain, through the process of allostatic load. In a case-control study comparing acculturation stress and allostatic load among Mexican women in Oaxaca and Mexican- immigrant women in New Jersey, Dr. D’Alonzo and colleagues reported blood pressure and triglycerides were higher in the US group and were mediated by time in the US. Greater acculturation stress was significantly related to increased waist-to-hip ratio. These findings suggest that some measures of allostatic load increased with time in the US, and acculturation stress may be a significant factor.

In an R13 funded study in New Brunswick, Dr. D’Alonzo and her colleagues found that acculturation stress, brought about by structural stigma, may increase CV risk among Mexican immigrants.  To test this hypothesis, she is proposing a co-created community health worker- facilitated intervention to address structural stigma and its impact on obesity and cardiovascular risk among Latino immigrants in NJ. Outcomes measures will include Body Mass Index (BMI), blood pressure, Hemoglobin A-1c, physical activity levels, salivary cortisol, food insecurity, allostatic load, cardiovascular risk, and measures of acculturation stress and emotional eating. As the recipient of a P50 grant from Rutgers Institute of Health, Dr. D’Alonzo has recently expanded her community engagement model to address CV disease among Asian Indian immigrants using peer leaders, a role analogous to promotoras in the Asian Indian community.

Dr. D’Alonzo has partnered with the Mexican Consulate in New York City on clinical and research initiatives targeting Mexican immigrants in New Jersey. The Consulate works to promote better health among Mexican immigrants to the U.S. but has no staff to provide clinical services or address health disparities.   Dr. D’Alonzo has also brokered educational and research partnerships with several Universities in Mexico, specifically in areas with high rates of migration to the US and to NJ in particular.

Dr. D’Alonzo graduated from Thomas Jefferson University Diploma School of Nursing. She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at Rutgers University–Camden and a master’s degree in nursing from the University of Pennsylvania.  She is a graduate of the PhD Program at the Rutgers School of Nursing and also is certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner. She is a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing.

Research/Scholarly Interests

Using a Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework, Dr. D’Alonzo’s scholarship focuses on: 1) biobehavioral approaches to cardiovascular risk reduction among diverse groups of women and 2) the role of acculturation stress as a barrier to healthy lifestyles among immigrant women. Her NIH-funded research projects have made use of lay community health workers/promotoras de salud to deliver health promotion interventions in immigrant communities in New Jersey.

Recent Publications

Eder, M., D’Alonzo, K.T., Yonas, M.A. & Oetzel, J. G. (2023). Editorial: Examining Community-Engaged and Participatory Research Programs and Projects. Frontiers in Public Health. 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1239670.

D’Alonzo, K.T., Jimenez, M., Ahmed, S., Vivar, M., Vivar, I. & Vivar, L. (2023). Use of adolescent “community researchers” to address obesity among Mexican immigrant families. Hispanic Health Care International. 21, 1, 1-5. http://doi.org/10.1177/15404153231181700                                                               

Mendoza Catalán, G; D’Alonzo, K.T.; Dominguéz-Chavéz, C.J. Villa-Rueda, A.A. & González-Ramírez, J. (2023). Relationship of marianismo beliefs with the self-care behaviors of Mexican women with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Journal of Transcultural Nursing 34(2), 151-156. https://doi.org/10.1177/10436596221149690.

Alba Alba, C.M, León Hernández, A.J., Bonilla Matamoros, A., Ramírez-Girón, N. & D´Alonzo, K.T. (2022). Information and communication technologies vs. Traditional tools targeting parents to improve healthy diet or body mass index in preschoolers: a systematic review. Spanish Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics/ Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietética, 26(3): 197 – 207. https://doi.org/10.14306/renhyd.26.3.1680

Bagchi, A. D., Hargwood, P., Saravana, A., DiBello, A. M., D’Alonzo, K.T., & Jadote, Y. (2022). Methods of training lay individuals in the use of evidence-based services for the management of mental and behavioral health disorders: A scoping review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis, 20(12):3034-3044. https://doi.org/10.11124/JBIES-21-00419.

D’Alonzo, K.T., Munet-Vilaro, F., Garsman, L., Rosas, S.R, & Vivar, M. (2021). Differences in academic and community members’ perceptions of factors contributing to obesity among Mexican immigrants. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 15(4) 475-488. https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2021.0060

D’Alonzo, K.T. & Greene, L. (2020) Strategies to establish and maintain trust when working in immigrant communities. Public Health Nursing 37(5), 764-768. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12764

 D’Alonzo, K.T & Garsman, L. (2020). The impact of childhood growth stunting and post-migration dysbiosis on the risk of Metabolic Syndrome among indigenous immigrant Mexican women. Biological Research for Nursing, 22(4):552-560. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800420941599.

D’Alonzo, K.T., Seaman, K. & Rawlins, L. (2020). Design and implementation of an innovative undergraduate pediatric clinical experience with Mexican-heritage teenagers. Nursing Education Perspectives, 41(5).307-308. https:// doi.org/10.1097/01.nep.0000000000000715

D’Alonzo, K. T., & You, E. (2020). Designing a culturally tailored partially randomized patient preference- controlled trial to increase physical activity among low-income immigrant Latinas. SAGE Research Methods Cases. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529707908

D’Alonzo, K.T., Munet-Vilaro, F., Garsman, L., Rosas, S.R., Castañeda, M., Vivar, M., Joseph, M.E. & Oyeneye, V. (2020). Using concept mapping within a community—academic partnership to examine obesity among Mexican immigrants. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 14(2), 173- 185.
https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2020.0016

D’Alonzo, K.T. & Greene, L. (2020) Strategies to establish and maintain trust when working in immigrant communities. Public Health Nursing 37(5), 764-768. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12764 

D’Alonzo, K. T., & You, E. (2020). Designing a culturally tailored partially randomized patient preference- controlled trial to increase physical activity among low-income immigrant Latinas. SAGE Research Methods Cases.
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529707908

D’Alonzo, K.T & Garsman, L. (2020). The impact of childhood growth stunting and post-migration dysbiosis on the risk of Metabolic Syndrome among indigenous immigrant Mexican women. Biological Research for Nursing. 22(4):552-560. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800420941599

D’Alonzo, K.T., Seaman, K. & Rawlins, L. (2020). Design and implementation of an innovative undergraduate pediatric clinical experience with Mexican-heritage teenagers. Nursing Education Perspectives. 41(5).307-308. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000715

D’Alonzo, K.T., Munet-Vilaro, F., Guarnaccia, P.J., Carmody, D. P, Linn, A.M., & Garsman, L. (2019). Acculturation stress and allostatic load among Mexican- immigrant women. Latin American Journal of Nursing/ Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 27, e3135. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.2578.3135

You, E., Kim, D.D., Harris, R.L. & D’Alonzo, K.T. (2019). Effects of auricular acupressure on pain management: A systematic review. Pain Management Nursing, 20, 17-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2018.07.010

Cheng, L., Auld, G., D’Alonzo. K.T., Palmer-Keenan, D. (2018). Communicating and assessing physical activity: Outcomes from cognitive interviews with low-income adults. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 50 (10), 984 – 992.          https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.jneb.2018.07.008

Morales-Jinez, A.M., Gallegos-Cabriales, E.C., D’Alonzo, K.T., Ugarte-Esquivel, A., López-Rincón, F.J. & Salazar-González, B.C.(2018). Factores sociales que contribuyen al desarollo de la carga alostática en adultos mayores: un estudio correlacional-predictivo. (Social factors contributing to the development of allostatic load in older adults: A correlational-predictive study). Aquichan. 18(3), 298-310. https://doi.org/10.5294/aqui.2018.18.3.5

D’Alonzo, K.T., Smith, B.A., Dicker, L.H. (2018). Outcomes of a culturally tailored partially randomized patient preference- controlled trial to increase physical activity among low-income immigrant Latinas. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. 29(4), 335-345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659617723073

Jines, A.M., Salazar, B.C. & D’Alonzo, K.T. (2014). Factores de riesgo y carga alostática en el adulto mayor: Propuesto de un modelo (Social risk factors and allostatic load in older adults: a proposed model). Centro de Investigación de Estudios Comparados de América Latina (Journal of Comparative Studies Latin America). 8(8), 129-141.

D’Alonzo, K.T. & Saimbert, M.K. (2013). Hispanic women and physical activity- an integrative review. In B.A. Smith & Kasper, C. (Eds.), Annual Review of Nursing Research, Vol 31 (pp. 209-234). New York, NY: Springer.          https://doi.org/10.18910739-6686.31.209

D’Alonzo, K.T., Johnson, S. & Fanfan, D. (2012). A biobehavioral approach to understanding obesity and the development of obesogenic illnesses among Latino immigrants in the US. Biological Research for Nursing. 14(4), 364 – 374. 
https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800412457017  

D’Alonzo.K.T. (2012). The influence of marianismo beliefs on physical activity of immigrant Latinas. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. 23(2), 124-133.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659611433872.

D’Alonzo, K.T. (2011). Evaluation and revision of questionnaires for use among low-literacy immigrant Latinos. Latin American Journal of Nursing/Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem. 19(5),1255-1264. https://doi.org/10.1590/s0104-11692011000500025

D’Alonzo, K.T. (2010) Getting started in CBPR- Lessons in building community partnerships for new researchers. Nursing Inquiry.17(4),282-288.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1440-1800.2010.00510.x

D’Alonzo, K.T. & Sharma, M. (2010) The influence of marianismo beliefs on physical activity of mid-life immigrant Latinas: A Photovoice study. Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise. 2(2), 229-249.
https://doi.org/10.1080/193984412010.488031

D’Alonzo, K.T., Aluf, A, Vincent, L. & Cooper, K. (2009). A comparison of field methods to assess body composition in a diverse group of sedentary women. Biological Research for Nursing. 10, 274- 283. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800408326583

D’Alonzo, K.T. & Fischetti, N. (2008) Cultural beliefs and attitudes of Black and Hispanic college-age women toward exercise. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. 19(2), 175-183. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659607313074

D’Alonzo, K.T. & Cortese, L.A. (2007). An investigation of habitual and incidental physical activity among Costa Rican and Costa Rican-American teenage girls. Journal of Transcultural Nursing. 18(3), 201-207.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659607301296
    
D’Alonzo, K.T., Vincent, L. & Marbach, K. (2006). A comparison of field measures to assess cardiorespiratory fitness among neophyte exercisers. Biological Research for Nursing. 8(1), 7- 14. https://doi.org/10.1177/1099800406287864

D’Alonzo, K.T. (2004). The Johnson-Neyman procedure as an alternative to ANCOVA. Western Journal of Nursing Research.26 (7), 804-812.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945904266733

D’Alonzo, K.T., Stevenson, J.S. & Davis, S.E. (2004). Outcomes of a program to enhance exercise self- efficacy and improve fitness among Black and Hispanic college-age women. Research in Nursing and Health, 27, 357-369.
https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.20029