Jaclyn Hadfield

Dr. Hadfield is a multilingual, cross-cultural behavioral scientist who assesses women’s physical activity beliefs and behaviors. In a world where women are less likely to be physically active than their male counterparts, she addresses gender movement inequities. Her work has examined the impact advertisement messaging has on women's physical activity engagement, beliefs women have about moving their bodies, and cross-cultural differences in fitness programming. She specializes in mixed-methods, cross-cultural, and multilingual research (English/Spanish/Italian).

She leads the Women’s Exercise Culture and Behavior Lab. Her lab produces research focused on finding meaning in the relationship between social, cultural, and behavioral factors with health beliefs and behaviors among women. The lab primarily explores the relationship of health beliefs within physical activity/exercise/fitness behaviors using theory-based methods with a translational and community-based approach. The lab’s research agenda aims to create preventative health lifestyles for women to enhance overall well-being and bridge gender health inequity gaps domestically and globally. Even though the primary research focuses on women’s movement behaviors, the innovative mixed methodologies used in the lab permeate into other areas that impact health, inviting collaborative and interdisciplinary scholarship opportunities. Studies in the lab investigate the impact messaging has on women's physical activity engagement, beliefs women have about moving their bodies, addressing racial-ethnic differences in women’s physical activity beliefs/behaviors, and cross-cultural differences in fitness programming. The lab produces multilingual (English/Spanish/Italian) research to uncover salient health determinants that address the unique needs of women to live healthy and active lives across their lifespan while bettering exercise culture in Louisiana and beyond.

Dr. Hadfield is currently accepting PhD students. Accepted students would assist with research produced in her lab while completing required coursework and mentorship for their research studies. Students will receive a tuition waiver, stipend, and health insurance. Prospective applicants can email their resume/CV, research interests, and general inquiries to jaclynhadfield@lsu.edu.