Sara Simonsen

Sara Simonsen, PhD, CNM, MSPH, BSN

Academic Information

Departments Adjunct - Family & Preventive Medicine , Adjunct - Obstetrics & Gynecology

Divisions: General OB/GYN , Public Health

Board Certification

  • American College of Nurse Midwives

Research Interests

  • Molecular Pathology
  • Biochemistry, Proteins
  • Neuroendocrinology

Research Statement

I have long been fascinated with women’s health, reproductive health, pregnancy, and birth. Risk factors and unhealthy behaviors among reproductive-age women directly impact more than one life. Preventing unintended pregnancy and helping all women be their healthiest, both before, during, and after pregnancy (and regardless of pregnancy) is key to addressing maternal child health disparities. Helping women with children to optimize their health also supports them in caring for their families while potentially influencing the health of their children. Thus, interventions targeting reproductive-age women have the potential for impact beyond the woman herself, with both short and long-term consequences for the woman and her family.

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Gibson B Simonsen S Jensen JD Yingling L (03/01/2022). Mobile Virtual Reality Versus Mobile 360° Video to Promote Enrollment in the Diabetes Prevention Program Among Hispanic Adults: Pilot Study. JMIR Diabetes, 7(1), e26013. (Read full article)
  2. Charron E Tahsin F Balto R (03/01/2022). Provider Perspectives of Barriers to Contraceptive Access and Use among Women with Substance Use Disorders. 32, 165-172. (Read full article)
  3. Gibson B Simonsen S Barton J (11/01/2021). Motivation and Problem Solving Versus Mobile 360° Videos to Promote Enrollment in the National Diabetes Prevention Program's Lifestyle Change Program Among People With Prediabetes: Protocol for a Randomized Trial. JMIR Res Protoc, 10(6), e28884. (Read full article)
  4. Willis SK Simonsen SE Hemmert RB (11/01/2021). Food Insecurity and the Risk of Obesity, Depression, and Self-Rated Health in Women. Womens Health Rep (New Rochelle), 1, 308-317. (Read full article)
  5. Tobin SY Cornier MA White MH (10/01/2021). The effects of acute exercise on appetite and energy intake in men and women. 241, 113562. (Read full article)
  6. Najmabadi S Schliep KC Simonsen SE (07/01/2021). Cervical mucus patterns and the fertile window in women without known subfertility: a pooled analysis of three cohorts. 36(7), 1784-1795. (Read full article)
  7. Baayd J Simonsen SE (06/01/2021). Identifying barriers to accessing skilled maternal health care in rural Morocco. Afr J Reprod Health, 25(1), 20-28. (Read full article)
  8. Kent-Marvick J Simonsen S (06/01/2021). Loneliness in pregnant and postpartum people and parents of children aged 5 years or younger: a scoping review protocol. Syst Rev, 9, 213. (Read full article)
  9. Najmabadi S Schliep KC Simonsen SE (05/01/2021). Menstrual bleeding, cycle length, and follicular and luteal phase lengths in women without known subfertility: A pooled analysis of three cohorts. 34(3), 318-327. (Read full article)
  10. Gawron LM Simonsen S Millar MM (04/01/2021). Pregnancy Risk Screening and Counseling for Women Veterans: Piloting the One Key Question in the Veterans Healthcare Administration. South Med J, 114(3), 150-155. (Read full article)
  11. Najmabadi S Schliep KC Simonsen SE Porucznik CA Egger MJ Stanford JB (02/01/2020). Menstrual bleeding, cycle length, and follicular and luteal phase lengths in women without known subfertility: A pooled analysis of three cohorts. 34(3), 318-327. (Read full article)
  12. Rizk AH Simonsen SE Roberts L Taylor-Swanson L Lemoine JB Smid M (02/01/2020). Maternity Care for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder: A Review. 64(5), 532-544. (Read full article)
  13. Mannix TR Austin SD Baayd JL Simonsen SE (09/01/2019). A Community Needs Assessment of Urban Utah American Indians and Alaska Natives. J Community Health, 43, 1217-1227. (Read full article)
  14. Buder I Zick C Waitzman N Simonsen S Sunada G Digre K (07/01/2019). It Takes a Village Coach: Cost-Effectiveness of an Intervention to Improve Diet and Physical Activity Among Minority Women. J Phys Act Health, 15, 819-826. (Read full article)
  15. Zick CD Buder I Waitzman NJ Simonsen S Digre K (05/01/2019). The nexus between health and time use among racially and ethnically diverse women. 24(2), 147-167. (Read full article)
  16. Ahad F (03/2019). Assessing the Likelihood of Having a Regular Health Care Provider among African American and African Immigrant Women. . Ethn Dis.
  17. Hemmert R Schliep KC Willis S Peterson CM Louis GB Allen-Brady K Simonsen SE Stanford JB Byun J Smith KR (02/01/2019). Modifiable life style factors and risk for incident endometriosis. 33(1), 19-25. (Read full article)
  18. Parsons BG Gren LH Simonsen SE Harding G Grossman D Wu YP (02/01/2019). Opportunities for Skin Cancer Prevention Education among Individuals Attending a Community Skin Cancer Screening in a High-Risk Catchment Area. J Community Health, 43(2), 212-219. (Read full article)
  19. Litchman ML (01/2019). What Women With Disabilities Write in Personal Blogs About Pregnancy and Early Motherhood: Qualitative Analysis of Blogs. .
  20. Stanford JB Simonsen SE Baksh L (07/01/2018). Fertility treatments and adverse perinatal outcomes in a population-based sampling of births in Florida, Maryland, and Utah: a cross-sectional study. 123(5), 718-29. (Read full article)
  21. Simonsen SE Ralls B Guymon A Garrett T Eisenman P Villalta J Tavake-Pasi OF Mukundente V Davis FA Digre K Hayes S Alexander S (03/01/2018). Addressing Health Disparities from Within the Community: Community-Based Participatory Research and Community Health Worker Policy Initiatives Using a Gender-Based Approach. 27 Suppl 1, S46-S53. (Read full article)
  22. Hawkins ML Buys SS Gren LH Simonsen SE Kirchhoff AC Hashibe M (09/01/2017). Do cancer survivors develop healthier lifestyle behaviors than the cancer-free population in the PLCO study? J Cancer Surviv, 11(2), 233-245. (Read full article)
  23. Thomas FS Stanford JB Sanders JN Gurtcheff SE Gibson M Porucznik CA Simonsen SE (04/01/2016). Development and initial validation of a fertility experiences questionnaire. Reprod Health, 12, 62. (Read full article)
  24. Thomas FS Stanford JB Sanders JN Gurtcheff SE Gibson M Porucznik CA Simonsen SE (07/01/2015). Development and initial validation of a fertility experiences questionnaire. Reprod Health, 12, 62. (Read full article)
  25. Simonsen SE Kepka D Thompson J Warner EL Snyder M Ries KM (11/01/2014). Preventive health care among HIV positive women in a Utah HIV/AIDS clinic: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Womens Health, 14(1), 37. (Read full article)
  26. Simonsen SE Kepka D Thompson J Warner EL Snyder M Ries KM (03/01/2014). Preventive health care among HIV positive women in a Utah HIV/AIDS clinic: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Womens Health, 14(1), 37. (Read full article)
  27. Simonsen SE Kepka D Thompson J Warner EL Snyder M Ries KM (03/01/2014). Preventive health care among HIV positive women in a Utah HIV/AIDS clinic: a retrospective cohort study. BMC Womens Health, 14(1), 37. (Read full article)
  28. Simonsen SE Baksh L Stanford JB (09/01/2012). Infertility treatment in a population-based sample: 2004-2005. Matern Child Health J, 16(4), 877-86. (Read full article)
  29. Simonsen SE Baksh L Stanford JB (04/01/2012). Infertility treatment in a population-based sample: 2004-2005. Matern Child Health J, 16(4), 877-86. (Read full article)
  30. Simonsen SE Baksh L Stanford JB (04/01/2012). Infertility treatment in a population-based sample: 2004-2005. Matern Child Health J, 16(4), 877-86. (Read full article)
  31. Simonsen SB Chorkendorff I Dahl S Skoglundh M Sehested J Helveg S (06/01/2010). Direct observations of oxygen-induced platinum nanoparticle ripening studied by in situ TEM. J Am Chem Soc, 132, 7968-75. (Read full article)

Other

  1. Tobin SY Cornier MA White MH (03/01/2022). Corrigendum to "The effects of acute exercise on appetite and energy intake in Men and Women". (p. 113774). Physiology & behavior. (Read full article)
  2. Tobin SY Cornier MA White MH (03/01/2022). Corrigendum to "The effects of acute exercise on appetite and energy intake in Men and Women". (p. 113774). Physiology & behavior. (Read full article)
  3. Tobin SY Cornier MA White MH (03/01/2022). Corrigendum to "The effects of acute exercise on appetite and energy intake in Men and Women". (p. 113774). Physiology & behavior. (Read full article)
  4. Boltz MW Sanders JN Simonsen SE Stanford JB (12/01/2017). Fertility Treatment, Use of in Vitro Fertilization, and Time to Live Birth Based on Initial Provider Type. J Am Board Fam Med (30(2), pp. 230-238). United States: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine : JABFM. (Read full article)
  5. Turok DK Jacobson JC Dermish AI Simonsen SE Gurtcheff S McFadden M Murphy PA (11/01/2014). Emergency contraception with a copper IUD or oral levonorgestrel: an observational study of 1-year pregnancy rates. Contraception (89(3), pp. 222-8). United States: Contraception. (Read full article)
  6. Turok DK Jacobson JC Dermish AI Simonsen SE Gurtcheff S McFadden M Murphy PA (03/01/2014). Emergency contraception with a copper IUD or oral levonorgestrel: an observational study of 1-year pregnancy rates. Contraception (89(3), pp. 222-8). United States: Contraception. (Read full article)
  7. Turok DK Jacobson JC Dermish AI Simonsen SE Gurtcheff S McFadden M Murphy PA (03/01/2014). Emergency contraception with a copper IUD or oral levonorgestrel: an observational study of 1-year pregnancy rates. Contraception (89(3), pp. 222-8). United States: Contraception. (Read full article)

Clinical Trials