About

Dr. Marc A. Adams is an Assistant Dean of Education and Interim Program Director of the MPH program in the School of Technology for Public Health, and a Professor in the College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University. He served as the founding director of the PhD in Population Health, leading the program for four years. As a behavioral scientist and epidemiologist, Dr. Adams brings a background in psychology, behavioral science, and public health. His teaching interests include epidemiologic methods and clinical trial design. His research focuses on the intersection of digital interventions to promote physical activity and behavioral nutrition, examining how these interventions unfold within broader environmental contexts such as neighborhoods. His NIH-funded work explores neighborhood environment features and behavior change interventions aimed at increasing physical activity and healthy eating across diverse populations. Recently, he has developed AI and deep learning classifiers for mapping and discovering inequities in pedestrian environment features using street view images across thousands of U.S. neighborhoods. Dr. Adams is also interested in behavior change theory, ecological models, and the temporal and spatial measurement of behaviors and environmental determinants through public health technologies. He is a member of the International Physical Activity and Environment Network (IPEN), which studies the influence of city design on physical activity levels across countries.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Civil engineering
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Political Science
• Geography
• Medicine
• Environmental health
• Business
• Environmental planning
• Gerontology
• Cartography
• Psychology
• Environmental science
• Regional science
• Economics
• Environmental resource management
• Environmental economics
• Transport engineering

Selected publications

• Associations Between Milk and the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables in Elementary, Middle, and High School Students Using Objective Measurements

  Current Developments in Nutrition · 2025-05-01

  articleOpen access

  Objectives: Most youth ( >90%) do not meet recommended intake of milk or fruits and vegetables (FV). While milk consumption is linked to healthy behaviors, the relationship between milk type (flavored vs unflavored) and FV intake in school-aged children remains unclear. We examined how selection and consumption of different milk types relate to objective FV intake.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A cluster randomized factorial trial of school-lunch salad bars and marketing on elementary students’ objectively measured fruit and vegetable consumption

  International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity · 2025-05-26 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  BACKGROUND: Schools in the United States play a crucial role in promoting healthy eating habits. Despite numerous public health efforts, children's consumption of fruits and vegetables (FVs) still fall short of recommended amounts. Advocates have promoted school lunch salad bars as an effective strategy to increase primary students' FV consumption, but rigorous research has lagged behind their efforts. This study evaluated the effectiveness of introducing school lunch salad bars, FV marketing, and the combination of both on elementary students' objectively measured fresh FV selection and consumption. METHODS: A cluster-randomized factorial trial was conducted among 13 elementary schools from 12 public school districts participating in the U.S. National School Lunch Program with more than 50% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch. Schools were assigned randomly to one of four conditions: Salad Bar with FV Marketing (n = 4), Salad Bar-only (n = 3), FV Marketing-only (n = 3), and wait-listed control (n = 3). The conditions were assessed at three measurement waves. Students' (N = 3,080) aggregated fresh FV selection and consumption were measured via digital scales (grams) using objective plate waste methodology. Zero-inflated negative binomial models were used to examine differences in consumption (accounting for excess zeros and overdispersion) by condition and wave. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed for students selecting FVs across any condition. In contrast, after ten weeks of exposure, stand-alone school lunch salad bars significantly increased students' consumption of FV (IRR = 1.84, 95% CI 1.12, 3.04) compared to the wait-listed control. Findings for FV marketing alone suggested increased consumption (IRR = 1.60, 95% CI 0.97, 2.64) relative to control, but were non-significant and inconclusive. Salad bars in combination with FV marketing showed the strongest effect on FV consumption relative to the wait-list control, with a significant increase observed at ten weeks (IRR = 2.07, 95% CI 1.29, 3.31). CONCLUSIONS: Stand-alone salad bars are effective at increasing elementary students' FV consumption after a minimum of ten weeks. The combined intervention of salad bars and FV marketing demonstrated the greatest improvement in FV consumption. These findings support the promotion of salad bars in schools as a strategy to increase FV consumption among students. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03283033 (preregistered on: 9/14/2017).

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Evaluating the performance of spatial indicators of destination accessibility for physical activity research: a comparative international analysis

  Cities · 2025-05-03 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Evaluating the performance of spatial indicators of destination accessibility for physical activity research: a comparative international analysis

  PublisherDOI

• The Impact of Monetary Incentives on Delay Discounting Within a Year-Long Physical Activity Intervention

  Annals of Behavioral Medicine · 2024-03-20 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND: Delay discounting is the depreciation in a reward's perceived value as a function of the time until receipt. Monetary incentive programs that provide rewards contingent on meeting daily physical activity (PA) goals may change participants' delay discounting preferences. PURPOSE: Determine if monetary incentives provided in close temporal proximity to meeting PA goals changed delay discounting, and if such changes mediated intervention effects. METHODS: Inactive adults (n = 512) wore accelerometers during a 12-month intervention where they received proximal monetary incentives for meeting daily moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) goals or delayed incentives for study participation. Delay discount rate and average MVPA were assessed at baseline, end of intervention, and a 24-month follow-up. Using structural equation modeling, we tested effects of proximal versus delayed rewards on delay discounting and whether any changes mediated intervention effects on MVPA. PA self-efficacy was also evaluated as a potential mediator, and both self-efficacy and delay discounting were assessed as potential moderators of intervention effects. RESULTS: Proximal rewards significantly increased participants' delay discounting (β = 0.238, confidence interval [CI]: -0.078, 0.380), indicating greater sensitivity to reinforcement timing. This change did not mediate incentive-associated increases in MVPA at the end of the 12-month intervention (β = -0.016, CI: -0.053, 0.019) or at a 24-month follow-up (β = -0.020, CI: -0.059, 0.018). Moderation effects were not found. CONCLUSIONS: Incentive-induced increases in delay discounting did not deleteriously impact MVPA. This finding may help assuage concerns about using monetary incentives for PA promotion, but further research regarding the consequences of changes in delay discounting is warranted.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• A tale of many neighborhoods: Latent profile analysis to derive a national neighborhood typology for the US

  Health & Place · 2024-02-25 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Crime-related perceptions and walking for recreation inside and outside one's home neighborhood

  Health & Place · 2024-07-31 · 8 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Physical Activity Intervention In Reducing Blood Pressure Between Sexes In Sedentary Adults

  Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise · 2023-09-01

  article

  PURPOSE: Increases in physical activity (PA) are associated with improved blood pressure (BP) outcomes, but only ~10% of U.S. adults meet PA guidelines. Further, sex differences in BP responses to a PA intervention in sedentary adults have not been reported. Thus, we examined sex differences in BP responses to a one-year PA intervention in sedentary adults. METHODS: Sedentary males (n = 132) and females (n = 221), underwent BP assessments at baseline and after a yearlong PA intervention. Baseline age, BMI, SBP, DBP, RHR, and smoking history were compared between sexes using independent T-tests and chi-squared analyses. Mixed model analyses were used with sex (male vs. female) and time (pre- vs. post-intervention) as main effects and sex by time interactions were used to compare changes in systolic BP (SBP), diastolic BP (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and resting heart rate (RHR) between sexes. Associations between change in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) and hemodynamic measures were examined using Pearson correlations. Data are presented as means ± SD; α was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Data were analyzed and age (M = 44 ± 9, F = 46 ± 9), BMI (M = 34.1 ± 6.2, F = 32.4 ± 6.9), baseline SBP (M = 125 ± 12, F = 118 ± 13), RHR (M = 68 ± 11, F = 68 ± 10), and smoking status (M = 8, F = 9) were not different between sexes. Baseline DBP (M = 83 ± 9, F = 79 ± 11, p = 0.025) was significantly different between sexes. We observed a trend for reduction of SBP following the intervention in females vs. males (Females: Pre = 118 ± 13, Post = 116 ± 13 mmHg, Males: Pre = 125 ± 12, Post = 126 ± 12 mmHg, p = 0.057). No sex differences were observed in MAP (Males: Pre = 97 ± 9, Post = 97 ± 10 mmHg vs Females: Pre = 92 ± 11, Post = 90 ± 10 mmHg, p = 0.14), or RHR (Males: Pre = 68 ± 11, Post = 68 ± 10 vs Females: Pre = 69 ± 10, Post = 67 ± 10, p = 0.52) or in baseline adjusted DBP (Males: Pre = 82 ± 9, Post = 83 ± 9 mmHg vs Females: Pre = 80 ± 11, Post = 77 ± 10 mmHg, p = 0.23). Change in SBP was not correlated with change in MVPA in males (r = -0.047) or females (r = 0.083). CONCLUSION: Males and females had divergent SBP responses to a one-year, walking-based PA intervention that trended towards significance. No significant interactions were observed for DBP, MAP, RHR, and MVPA. These findings suggest that sex differences in SBP response to a PA intervention are probable and may warrant further investigation. Supported by R01CA198915

  PublisherDOI

• Smart Walk: A Culturally Tailored Smartphone-Delivered Physical Activity Intervention for Cardiometabolic Risk Reduction among African American Women

  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · 2023-01-05 · 26 citations

  articleOpen access

  This article reports the results of Smart Walk: a randomized pilot trial of an 8-month culturally tailored, smartphone-delivered physical activity (PA) intervention for African American women with obesity. Sixty participants (age range = 24−49 years; BMI range = 30−58 kg/m2) were randomized to the Smart Walk intervention (n = 30) or a wellness comparison intervention (n = 30). Results supported the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention, as demonstrated by participant retention (85% at 4 months and 78% at 8 months), Smart Walk app use, and intervention satisfaction (i.e., 100% of PA participants completing the intervention [n = 24] reported they would recommend it to friend). Smart Walk participants also reported greater increases in moderate-to-vigorous PA (4-month between-arm difference in change [b] = 43.3 min/week; p = 0.018; Cohen’s d = 0.69; 8-month b = 56.6 min/week; p = 0.046; d = 0.63) and demonstrated clinically relevant, although not statistically significant (p-values > 0.05), baseline to 4 months improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (b = 1.67 mL/kg/min; d = 0.40), systolic blood pressure (b = −3.33 mmHg; d = 0.22), diastolic blood pressure (b = −4.28 mmHg; d = 0.37), and pulse wave velocity (b = −0.46 m/s; d = 0.33). Eight-month cardiometabolic outcomes followed similar trends, but had high rates of missing data (45−53%) due to COVID-19 restrictions. Collectively, findings demonstrated favorable outcomes for acceptability and feasibility, while also highlighting key areas for refinement in future research.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Odds Ratio

  2023-01-01 · 1 citations

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Blood pressure responses by fitness status following a physical activity intervention in sedentary adults

  Physiology · 2023-05-01 · 1 citations

  article

  Background: Blood pressure and peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ) are strong independent predictors of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. A VO 2peak of 8 METs or greater is associated with greater cardiovascular health and probability of survival, whereas individuals with a VO 2peak less than 8 METs are at greater risk for cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. Increasing physical activity in insufficiently active adults is associated with improvements in blood pressure (BP). Additionally, the relationship between an individual’s baseline VO 2peak and BP responses following a walking intervention are unknown. Therefore, we examined the change in BP in individuals stratified based on baseline VO 2peak (< 8 METs & ≥ 8 METs). We hypothesized that those with a VO 2peak < 8 METs would see greater blood pressure responses compared to those with a VO 2peak ≥ 8 METs. Methods: Cross-sectional, secondary analyses were carried out on data from a previously conducted clinical trial that included insufficiently active (as determined by accelerometry) individuals (N=518). Subjects underwent BP measurements, anthropometric testing, and a treadmill-based VO 2peak test with ventilatory gas exchange assessment to determine VO 2peak . Subjects with missing data were excluded from analyses. Additionally, only valid VO 2peak tests (≥90% age-predicted HR max , RER > 1.0) were included. Three hundred and sixty nine individuals had BP measured and met the criteria for a valid VO 2peak test. Subjects were then stratified based on baseline VO 2peak : low fit (<8 METS), and high fit (≥8 METS). Linear mixed model analyses were carried out to examine main effects (time and VO 2peak category) of the walking intervention on BP. The interaction of time and VO 2peak category was examined as well. Data are presented as means ± SD with α set at 0.05. Results: Eighty-one individuals had a VO 2peak greater than or equal to 8 METs (age = 41.9±10.0 years; BMI = 28.8±4.8; VO 2peak = 31.1±3.1 mL/kg/min; Males/Females = 55/26). Two-hundred and eighty-eight individuals had a VO2peak less than 8 METs (age = 45.9±8.6 years; BMI = 34.4±6.5; VO 2peak = 22.4±3.2 mL/kg/min; Males/Females = 75/213). There was a significant group by time interaction effect for changes in systolic BP (≥ 8 METs: Pre = 120.8±1.4, Post = 123.0±1.6 mmHg, < 8 METs: Pre = 122.1±0.7, Post = 120.4±1.0 mmHg) (p = 0.03). There was no significant effects found for DBP. Conclusions: These secondary analyses found that SBP significantly decreased following a 6-month walking intervention in individuals with low-fitness. These data suggest that those with lower baseline CRF are likely to have greater declines in SBP. Supported by NIH R01CA1989 This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2023 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Salad bars and students' fruit and vegetable consumption: A group-randomized trial with objective assessments

  NIH · $2.8M · 2017–2023

• WalkIT: Neighborhood walkability and moderation of adaptive walking interventions

  NIH · $2.8M · 2015–2022

Frequent coauthors

• James F. Sallis

  66 shared

• Terry L. Conway

  University of California, San Diego

  51 shared

• Kelli L. Cain

  Human Longevity (United States)

  34 shared

• Lawrence D. Frank

  29 shared

• Melbourne F. Hovell

  San Diego State University

  27 shared

• Gregory J. Norman

  Dexcom (United States)

  27 shared

• Ester Cerin

  26 shared

• Jacqueline Kerr

  23 shared

Labs

• Marc Adams LabPI

Education

• Ph.D., not specified in provided HTML

  not specified in provided HTML

• Other, not specified in provided HTML

  not specified in provided HTML