Kate Guastaferro

Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Co-Director of the Center for the Advancement and Dissemination of Intervention Optimization

Director of the Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) Program

Professional overview

Kate Guastaferro, PhD is an intervention scientist by training, her work is devoted to the development, optimization, implementation and evaluation of effective, efficient, affordable and scalable interventions with high public health impact. She is an expert in the multiphase optimization (MOST) strategy and her expertise is in parent-focused, multicomponent behavioral interventions to prevent child maltreatment. Dr. Guastaferro co-led a statewide trial focused on the coordinated implementation of three evidence-base child sexual abuse prevention programs; included in this trial was the parent-focused child sexual abuse program that she developed, piloted and evaluated. Her current work is focused on the integration of intervention optimization into the prevention of child maltreatment.

Prior to joining NYU, Dr. Guastaferro was an assistant research professor in human development and family studies at the Pennsylvania State University, and an affiliate of its Prevention Research Center and Child Maltreatment Solutions Network. In 2020, she was awarded the Victoria S. Levin Award for Early Career Success in Young Children’s Mental Health Research from the Society for Research in Child Development. She has been published in Child Maltreatment, Translational Behavioral Medicine, and the American Journal of Public Health.

Dr. Guastaferro received her PhD and MPH from Georgia State University’s School of Public Health, and her BA in anthropology from Boston University. She also completed a year of postdoctoral training at the Pennsylvania State University.

Education

Postdoctoral Fellow, Prevention and Methodology Training Program (T32 DA017629), The Pennsylvania State University

PhD Public Health, Georgia State University

MPH Health Promotion, Georgia State University

BA Anthropology, Boston University

Honors and awards

Victoria S. Levin Award, Society for Research on Child Development (2020)

NIH Loan Repayment Program Award: Toward the Optimization of Behavioral Interventions to Prevent Child Maltreatment (201820192020)

Public Health Achievement Award, Georgia State University (2016)

Scarlet Key Honor Society, Boston University (2008)

Publications

Publications

Cultural and familial influences on parents’ child sexual abuse-related awareness and protective behaviors

Bhoja, A., Abourjaily, E., McCormick, K. V., Zeleke, M. B., & Guastaferro, K. (n.d.).

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Grandparents raising grandchildren: Exploring perceptions of social support

Guastaferro, K., Mozid, N. E., Kramsky, J., Young, K. S., & Melkonian, M. I. (n.d.).

Journal title

Frontiers in Public Health

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Grandparents raising grandchildren (colloquially referred to as ‘grandfamilies’) are a rapidly growing population in the United States. Census data indicate that 2.3 million grandparents are solely responsible for their grandchildren (Generations United, 2021; U.S. Census Bureau, 2022a, 2022b). Reasons for acquisition are plentiful including parental substance use, termination of parental rights, parental death, parental incarceration. Grandparents raising grandchildren are subject to the same stressors of other adults their age and of a similar socioeconomic status: varying degrees of financial insecurity, health problems, employment issues, and family conflict (Baker & Mutchler, 2010; Sands & Goldberg-Glen, 2000). However, prior research suggests that, compared to their peers, grandparents raising grandchildren are more likely to experience poor physical (e.g., fatigue, diabetes, hypertension; Hughes et al., 2007) mental or psychological (e.g., depression, distress; Baker & Silverstein, 2008; Blustein et al., 2004) and social (e.g., isolation, marital stress; Wang & Mutchler, 2020) outcomes (Hank et al., 2018). Although there is been work to develop community-based interventions to support grandfamlilies, a recent meta-analysis indicated programs produce small to moderate effect sizes on only a portion of the grandfamilies’ needs. Moreover, there is neither a network of services nor infrastructure to universally support services that sufficiently addresses grandparents’ need for support, resources, and training. A mixed method study with 70 survey participants – 16 of whom were then randomly selected to complete an interview and focus group – sought to understand the (a) reasons for acquisition, (b) needs, (c) areas of concern, and (d) what would be most helpful to grandparents in this caregiving role. The data presented in the current manuscript will focus on the grandparents’ perceived levels of social support and isolation comparing quantitative to qualitative responses. On the survey, grandparents reported moderate levels of perceived social support from significant others, family members, and friends. However, in interviews and focus groups grandparents speak at length about being isolated and feeling alone. Discordance between the quantitative and qualitative responses will be discussed in the context of the literature and other family characteristics. Exploring these different reports have important implications for intervention development.  

Grandparents raising grandchildren: Impact of grandparents’ chronic stress on grandparent-parent relationship and life satisfaction

Mozid, N. E., & Guastaferro, K. (n.d.).

Journal title

Innovation in Aging

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Background and Objectives Grandparents raising grandchildren are a rapidly growing population in the United States. Raising a grandchild impacts grandparents’ immediate and extended family relationships and amplifies stressors in the relationship with the parent of the grandchild. The quality of relationships with the parents negatively impacts grandparents’ psychosocial well-being but may also have lasting adverse effects on the grandchild. Research Design and Methods Using the most recent wave (2020) of the nationally representative Health and Retirement Study, we conducted linear regression analyses to understand the association between chronic stress (e.g., health, finances, housing) and anxiety symptoms by gender and race among grandparents raising grandchildren (N=4,238). Then, we examined the grandparents’ relationship with the parent and satisfaction with life as potential mediators in these associations. Results Grandparents’ ongoing chronic stressors were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms (β=0.349; p< 0.01); however, there were no significant differences in total chronic stress by gender or race. Path analysis showed both the grandparent-parent relationship and grandparents’ satisfaction with life partially mediated the association between grandparents’ chronic stress and anxiety symptoms (p< 0.001). Discussion and Implications Cultivating a consistent and quality relationship between grandparent and parent as well as focusing on grandparents’ perspectives of life suggests innovative intervention targets to improve the health and well-being of both grandparents and grandchildren.

Grandparents raising grandchildren: Understanding the experience and needs of an emerging public health priority population

Guastaferro, K., Mozid, N. E., Kramsky, J., Young, K. S., Melkonian, M. I., Solomon, E., & Chambers, G. (n.d.).

Journal title

The Gerontologist

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Health-related social needs and assistance among primary care patients: Implications for HIV prevention

Lockhart, E., Kingsley, R., Guastaferro, K., Pittiglio, B., Torres-Azalte, H., Szalacha, L., Marhefka, S., & Turner, D. (n.d.).

Journal title

Journal of Primary Care and Community Health

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Household Family Type in Child Protective Services: Single Dads Need Attention, Too

Shipe, S. L., Adrian, C., Guastaferro, K., & Connell, C. M. (n.d.).

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Abstract: Background and Purpose: The focus on families in the child welfare system (CWS) have centered primarily on married caregivers, single mothers, or non-residential fathers (Campbell et al., 2015; Shipe, 2018) leaving out the fastest growing population of caregivers – single fathers, or men who are divorced, separated, widowed, never married, or not living with a partner, and are the primary caregiver for at least one child. In the last 20 years the growth of single fathers involved in a child protective services (CPS) investigation has almost doubled from 2.6% in 2004 to almost 5% in 2022 (DHHS, 2023), yet information about whether the needs of these families differ from other family types in virtually nonexistent. The current study begins to fill this gap by determining how single father homes differ from other household family types as it relates to both entry into and continued involvement with CPS. The research questions specifically ask: (1) what demographic and risk factors predict re-report to CPS? and (2) does household family type, specifically single father homes, moderate the relationship of re-report? Methods: Data were from National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) 2017-2019 Child Files. The analytic sample comprised of the four household family types – single fathers, single mothers, married couples, and unmarried couples. Other variables of interest included child demographic characteristics, allegation type, and risk indicators for children (i.e., prior CPS report, substance use, behavioral issues, disabilities, and other medical concerns) (N = 249,026). The dependent variable was re-report of abuse/neglect within 18 months of investigation. Logistic regression was used to first investigate which demographic and child risk factors predicted re-report to CPS. A subsequent logistic regression was conducted to determine whether family type [single fathers] moderated the effects of re-reporting of child abuse/neglect to CPS. Results: The results found there was a significant relationship between all child risks and re-report; however, when single father homes were added, the results indicated a significant interaction with some risks and re-report to CPS. These included children with behavioral concerns (OR = 0.898, p = .03, CI[0.954 – 1.364]), child with disabilities (OR = 0.802, p = .001, CI[0.697 – 0.922]), children with other medical concerns (OR = 1.264, p = .001, CI[1.106 – 1.404]), prior reports (OR = 0.873, p = .001, CI[0.822 – 0.928]), Latinx children (OR = 1.128, p = .001, CI[1.111 – 1.336]), physical abuse (OR = 1.201, p = .001, CI[1.104 – 1.306]), and sexual abuse (OR = 1.201, p = .001, CI[1.054 – 1.368]). Conclusion and Implications: Although single fathers are the smallest population of caregivers involved in CPS investigations, they are not without unique risks for continued involvement in the child welfare system. To date, the majority of interventions focus on single mothers and coupled household, yet these findings suggest that household family type does warrant attention. Researchers and practitioners should consider augmenting or developing approaches that target the needs of specific family types, particularly single fathers.

Implementation strategies to increase Malawian health care workers’ knowledge about and self-efficacy to recommend HPV vaccination: A pilot study

Moucheraud, C., Kalande, P., Makwaya, A., Kamtsendero, L., Chimbaka, H., Gurpinar, N. G., Hagstrom, C., van Oosterhaut, J. J., Guastaferro, K., Szilagyi, P. G., Phiri, K., & Hoffman, R. M. (n.d.).

Journal title

PLOS Global Public Health

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Implementing a county-wide child sexual abuse prevention effort: Lessons learned from a state-government initiated prevention trial

Guastaferro, K., Murphy-Costanzo, A. S., Melchior, M. S., Cosgrove-Rooks, C., Kenyon, K., Connell, C. M., & Noll, J. G. (n.d.).

Journal title

Global Implementation Research and Applications

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Integrating assessment of food security into child maltreatment research: A pilot of the acceptability and feasibility of the FIES in a parent sample

Abuchaibe, V., Ott, K. A., Dan, C., & Guastaferro, K. (n.d.).

Journal title

Journal of Child and Family Studies

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Mandated Reporting in New York State: A Policy Note

Melchior, M. S., & Guastaferro, K. (n.d.).

Journal title

Journal of Child and Family Studies

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Measuring parents’ knowledge and skills in the prevention of child sexual abuse: A review of the evidence

Saltarelli, J., Abourjaily, E., & Guastaferro, K. (n.d.).

Journal title

Trauma, Violence, &amp; Abuse

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Multiphase Optimization using Cluster-randomized designs: An introduction and case study for implementation scientists

Guastaferro, K., Dahlen, A., & Moucheraud, C. (n.d.).

Journal title

Annals of Behavioral Medicine

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Optimization of Smoking Cessation Interventions via Multiphase Optimization STrategy (MOST): Basic Concepts, Practical Considerations and New Developments

Guastaferro, K. (n.d.).

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Optimizing a school-based therapeutic play intervention for preschool students: A factorial experiment protocol

Duprey, E. B., Cao, V., Zhang, Y., Guastaferro, K., & McFall, J. (n.d.).

Journal title

Trials

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Poor nurturing care as a risk factor for homelessness: Evidence from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health

Rosenthal, D. M., Godoy, S., & Guastaferro, K. (n.d.).

Journal title

International Journal on Homelessness

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The nature of conceptual models in studies seeking to optimize multiple implementation strategies

Guastaferro, K., & Moucheraud, C. (n.d.).

Journal title

Translational Behavioral Medicine

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When a school-based child sexual abuse prevention goes awry, you Pivot!

Guastaferro, K., Melchior, M., Torney, I., Rigodon, W., & Murray, G. (n.d.).

Journal title

Journal of Child Sexual Abuse

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Yoga MAT (Medication for Addition Treatment): A study using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy framework to develop a multicomponent yoga intervention for people with chronic pain taking opioid agonist therapy

Uebelacker, L. A., Saper, R., Roseen, E. J., Taylor, L. E., Abrantes, A. M., Anderson, B., Sprecht-Walsch, S., Lorin, L., Ikai, D., Desaulniers, J. D., Braun, T. D., Min, J., Guastaferro, K., Strayhorn, J., & Stein, M. D. (n.d.).

Journal title

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

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