Peijia Zha, PhD, MA

Peijia Zha

Associate Professor and Director, Center for Technology and Chronic Disease Self-Management

Division of Nursing Science

Newark

ACK 226

(973) 353-1692

Specialty: Social epidemiology, social determinants of health, program evaluation, statistics

  • Advancing Nursing Education and Simulation
  • Data Science for Nursing and Health Care
  • Population and Global Health

Dr. Zha’s research as a social science scholar has a strong interdisciplinary focus. Her primary contribution involves both articulating and innovating research methodological concepts and practices, especially in developing and validating innovative instruments to measure patient-nurse trust relationships, patient perceptions on cultural competence; utilizing mobile health intervention to improve patient outcomes and health education; and applying statistical methods to collaborate with nursing scientists from multidisciplinary levels.

Education & Training

  • Master of Arts, Educational Psychology, Louisiana Tech University
  • Ph.D., Urban Systems, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey

Research/Scholarly Interests

Dr. Zha’s research interests including to evaluate large-scale populations and critically assess the impact of social determinants of health within different settings, with a specific emphasis on understanding how societal factors influence health outcomes. Another research interests including the development of sophisticated problem-solving statistical methodologies, the design and application of multivariate analysis approaches, and conducting program evaluations based on sound and feasible evaluation models.

Recent Research Activities/Funded Projects

  • 2018-2022, Advancing Community Oriented Registered Nursing, Health Resources and Services Administration, Program Evaluator
  • 2018-2022, The Improving STI Testing and Treatment among People with or at Risk for HIV SPNS Initiative, Health Resources and Services Administration, Statistician
  • 2020-2021, Nested Random Slope Model for Quantifying Hospital-Specific Disparities by Social Risk Factors on Multivariate Health Condition Indicators. New Jersey Alliance for Clinical and Translational Science, Co-Principal Investigator
  • 2020-2021, Just A Diaper Rash? Population Health/Social Determinants of Health Case Study, The American Association of College of Nursing, Co-Investigator
  • 2014-2017, Community-Based Interprofessional Primary Care and Mental Health Integration Initiative, Health Resources and Services Administration, Statistician and Program Evaluator

Recent Publications

 ORCiD Page: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4864-692X

  • Zha, P., Qureshi, R., Porter, S. & Zhang, C. (2023). Moderation effects of patient-nurse trust relationship on adverse childhood experiences and preventive care utilization among sexual and gender minority individuals. Nursing Research. 72(6), 439–446. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000682
  • De torres, R., Pacquiao, D., Zha, P., Katz, J., & Sattler, V. (2023). Psychometric evaluation of the Filipino version of the client’s perceptions of providers’ cultural competency instrument among LGBTQ population in the Philippines. JNM-2022-0084.R1. Advance online publication. Journal of Nursing Measurement. https://doi.org/10.1891/JNM-2022-0084
  • Huynh, T., Zha, P., Kwong, J., & DeStefano, C. (2023). Leveraging a patient portal system to increase adherence to chlamydia and gonorrhea retesting within a community-based health center: A pilot project. Journal of Nursing Practice Applications & Reviews of Research. 13(1),37-47. https://doi.org/10.13178/jnparr. 2023.13.01.1307
  • Avadhani, A., Qureshi, R., & Zha, P. (2022). COVID-19 pandemic related challenges and nurses’ work lives.  Journal of Nursing Practice Applications & Reviews of Research. 12(2), 51-58. https://doi.org/10.13178/jnparr.2022.12.02.1207
  • Nelson, J., Zha, P., Halawani, M., & Jones, V. (2022). Evidence-based interventions implemented into HIV primary care clinics to make sexually transmitted infection screening and testing routine: Outcomes of a multi-site study. AIDs Patient Care and STDs, 36(S2), S92-S103.https://doi.org/10.1089/apc.2022.0131
  • Qureshi, R., Zha, P., & Porter, S. (2022). Adverse childhood experiences and utilization of preventive healthcare among generation Z sexual and gender minorities. Journal of LGBT Youth, 20(4), 882-895. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361653.2022.2075516
  • Chao, Y.Y., Kong, D., Seo, J.Y., Zha, P., & Dong, X.Q (2022). Perceived social support and elder mistreatment help-seeking among U.S. Chinese older adults. Journal of Elder Abuse and Neglect.34(3), 222-240. https://doi.org/10.1080/08946566.2022.2089938
  • Sadual. E., Riley, K., Zha, P., Pacquiao, D., & Faust, A. (2022). Qualitative study of experiences with postpartum mHealth intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic.  JMIR Formative Research.6 (6), e37777. https://doi.org/10.2196/37777
  • Zha, P., Mahat, G, Chao, Y, Y.& Iovino, C. (2022). Perceived body weight and weight management-related behaviors among young adults: Mediating effects of BMI. American Journal of Health Education, 53(6), 381-393. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2022.212020
  • Zha, P., Qureshi, R., Porter, S., & Lin, H. (2022). Psychometric evaluation of the patient-nurse trust scale among sexual and gender minorities. Journal of Community Health Nursing.39 (4), 238-250. https://doi.org/10.1080/07370016.2022.2080500
  • Thomas-Hawkins, C., Flynn, L., Zha, P., & Ando, Sakura. (2022). The effects of race and workplace racism on nurses’ intent to leave the job: the mediating roles of job dissatisfaction and emotional distress. Nursing Outlook. 70(4), 590-600.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2022.03.001
  • Nicholson, B., Flynn, L., Savage, B., Zha, P. & Kozlov, E. (2022). Palliative care use in advanced cancer in the Garden State. Cancer nursing, 46(4), E253–E260. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0000000000001105
  • Shaffer, E., Porter. A. S., Zha, P., Caldwell, B., & Condon, E. (2022). Associations between diaper need and child sleep in under-resourced families. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics. 43(7), 420-408. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0000000000001088
  • Thomas-Hawkins, C., Zha, P., Flynn, L., & Ando, S. (2022). Effects of race, workplace racism, and COVID worry on the emotional well-being of hospital-based nurses: A dual pandemic. Behavioral Medicine (Washington, D.C.), 48(2), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2021.1977605
  • Nicholson, B., Flynn, L., Savage, B., Zha, P., & Kozlov, E. (2022). Hospice referral in advanced cancer in New Jersey. Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing. 24(3),167-174.  https://doi.org/10.1097/NJH.0000000000000845
  • Cullinen, K., Hill, M. A., Anderson, T., Jones, V. M., Nelson, J. A., Halawani, M., Zha, P. (2022). Improving sexually transmitted infection screening, testing, and treatment among people with HIV: A mixed methods needs assessment to inform a multi-site, multi-level intervention and evaluation plan. Plos One. 16(12), e0261824. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261824
  • Shaffer, E., Porter. A. S., Zha, P., & Condon, E. (2022). Diaper need as a measure of material hardship during COVID-19. Nursing Research. 71(2), 90–95. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000572