Rachel McCardel

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Promotion

Rachel McCardel is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Health Promotion and Behavior at the University of Georgia. She also received her B.S. in Health Promotion and MPH in Health Promotion at the University of Georgia. Currently, Rachel is a graduate research assistant for the Workplace Health Group and assists in evaluating worksite programs and policies related to physical activity, nutrition, and breastfeeding. In her research, Rachel is interested in understanding how returning to work after giving birth influences working mothers’ breastfeeding behaviors and mental health. By understanding these relationships, she hopes to design and implement strategies to support working mothers and their families.

Education

MPH in Health Promotion and Behavior, University of Georgia, 2020
BS in Health Promotion and Behavior, University of Georgia, 2018

Areas of Expertise

Worksite Health
Maternal and Child Health
Program Evaluation
Systematic Reviews
Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis

Honors, Awards, and Achievements

College of Public Health Student Travel Award, University of Georgia, 2022
Nominee, P.E.O. Scholar Award, 2021
Health Promotion and Behavior Outstanding MPH Student, University of Georgia, 2020

Affiliations

Georgia Society for Public Health Education
American Public Health Association
UGA/CPH Delta Omega – Beta Chi Chapter

Course Instruction

Instructor of Record, HPRB 5900 Capstone in Health Promotion and Behavior, 2020-2021

Research Interests

Worksite Health
Breastfeeding
Maternal Mental Health
Mixed Methods Research

Selected Publications

McCardel, R. E., Loedding, E. H., & Padilla, H. M. (2022). Examining the relationship between return to work after giving birth and maternal mental health: A systematic review. Maternal and Child Health Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-022-03489-0.

Padilla, H., Roemer, E., McCardel, R., & DeJoy, D. (2021). The workplace food environment. In Evans, C. (Ed.), The wider food environment: Place, evidence, and practice. CRC Press.

McCardel, R. E., Loedding, E. H., & Padilla, H. M. (2021). Examining the implementation of physical activity and healthy eating policies in a large, public health organization. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 63(1), e26–e31.

McCardel, R. E. and Padilla, H. M. (2019). Assessing workplace breastfeeding support among working mothers. Workplace Health and Safety. 68(4), 182-189.