Melissa Kay | Scholars@Duke

Melissa Kay
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics

Melissa Kay is a public health nutritionist conducting research in support of early life obesity prevention. Her educational background includes public health, food policy and applied nutrition, epidemiology, and nutrition interventions. She is currently faculty in the Department of Pediatrics and is using digital technologies to augment clinical care between primary care visits as well as visits with the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). Using interactive text messaging, Dr. Kay supports caregivers in adopting healthy feeding behaviors for themselves and their families.

Current Research Interests

Dr. Kay is a behavioral interventionist, nutrition epidemiologist and registered dietitian with interest in reducing disparities in early life obesity risk using digital technologies. The overarching goal of her work is to support healthy dietary and infant feeding behaviors during the first 1,000 days - conception through 2 years of life. Her research specifically focuses on the mother-infant dyad and includes understanding the association between infant feeding practices and obesity and testing digital behavioral intervention methods to promote optimal weight gain and high-quality diets. Dr. Kay also uses dietary intake data to assess diet quality using various tools, such as the Healthy Eating Index and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern. She recently led the development of a Toddler Diet Quality Index based on the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which included recommendations for children under age 2 years for the first time. She uses these results to provide guidance on foods to consume in adequate amounts and foods to limit or decrease.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, Pediatrics 2022

Contact Information

3116 N. Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704
3116 N. Duke Street, Durham, NC 27704
melissa.kay@duke.edu (919) 613-4350
Healthy Roots Study

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Ph.D., University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill 2017
- M.P.H., Tufts University School of Medicine 2008
- M.S., Tufts University School of Medicine 2008
Academic Positions Outside Duke
- Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina. 2022 - 2023
Expertise
Subject Headings
Research
Selected Grants
- Greenlight Plus Study:A Randomized Study Of Approaches To Early Childhood Obesity Prevention awarded by Vanderbilt University Medical Center 2019 - 2024
- Partnering with WIC to prevent excessive weight gain in pregnancy awarded by Temple University 2018 - 2023
- Duke CTSA (KL2) awarded by National Institutes of Health 2018 - 2023
- A Pragmatic Trial of a Digital Health Intervention to Prevent Weight Gain in Primary Care awarded by National Institutes of Health 2016 - 2023
- Optimizing a standalone text messaging-based weight loss intervention awarded by National Institutes of Health 2017 - 2023
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - Kay, Melissa C., Aaron R. Pankiewicz, Jonathan S. Schildcrout, Shelby Wallace, Charles T. Wood, H. Shonna Yin, Russell L. Rothman, et al. “Early sweet tooth: Juice introduction during early infancy is related to toddler juice intake.” Acad Pediatr, May 5, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2023.04.009.
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  - Berger, Miriam B., Miriam Chisholm, Hailey N. Miller, Sandy Askew, Melissa C. Kay, and Gary G. Bennett. “"We bleed for our community:" A qualitative exploration of the implementation of a pragmatic weight gain prevention trial from the perspectives of community health center professionals.” Bmc Public Health 23, no. 1 (April 14, 2023): 695. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-15574-2.
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  - Lyons, Gabrielle C., Melissa C. Kay, Naomi N. Duke, Aihua Bian, Jonathan S. Schildcrout, Eliana M. Perrin, Russell L. Rothman, et al. “Social Support and Breastfeeding Outcomes Among a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Population.” Am J Prev Med 64, no. 3 (March 2023): 352–60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2022.10.002.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Nour M. Hammad, Tracy Truong, Sharon J. Herring, and Gary G. Bennett. “Feasibility, Acceptability, and Initial Efficacy of a Digital Intervention to Improve Consumption of Foods Received within a National Nutrition Assistance Program.” Nutrients 15, no. 2 (January 14, 2023). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15020438.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Emily W. Duffy, Brenda Sun, and Christine Borger. “Comparing Diet Quality Indices for Low-Income 24-Month-Old Toddlers: Exploring Changes Driven by 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.” J Nutr 153, no. 1 (January 2023): 215–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2022.11.016.
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  - Miller, Hailey N., Miriam B. Berger, Sandy Askew, Melissa C. Kay, Miriam Chisholm, Gaurav Sirdeshmukh, Christina M. Hopkins, et al. “Recruitment of diverse community health center patients in a pragmatic weight gain prevention trial.” J Clin Transl Sci 7, no. 1 (2023): e22. https://doi.org/10.1017/cts.2022.475.
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  - Heerman, William J., Eliana M. Perrin, H Shonna Yin, Jonathan S. Schildcrout, Alan M. Delamater, Kori B. Flower, Lee Sanders, et al. “The Greenlight Plus Trial: Comparative effectiveness of a health information technology intervention vs. health communication intervention in primary care offices to prevent childhood obesity.” Contemp Clin Trials 123 (December 2022): 106987. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2022.106987.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Hailey N. Miller, Sandy Askew, Erin M. Spaulding, Miriam Chisholm, Jacob Christy, Qing Yang, and Dori M. Steinberg. “Patterns of Engagement With an Application-Based Dietary Self-Monitoring Tool Within a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.” Ajpm Focus 1, no. 2 (December 2022): 100037–100037. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.focus.2022.100037.
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  - Maradiaga Panayotti, Gabriela M., Dean S. Miner, Emily A. Hannon, Melissa C. Kay, Sophie K. Shaikh, Karen R. Jooste, Elizabeth Erickson, Teresa Kovarik, and Charles T. Wood. “Implementation of a Novel Tool to Collect Milk Feeding Data on Infants in Primary Care Clinics.” Clin Pediatr (Phila) 61, no. 11 (November 2022): 768–75. https://doi.org/10.1177/00099228221101002.
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  - White, Michelle J., Melissa C. Kay, Tracy Truong, Cynthia L. Green, Hsiang Shonna Yin, Kori B. Flower, Russell L. Rothman, et al. “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Maternal Social Support and Relationship to Mother-Infant Health Behaviors.” Acad Pediatr 22, no. 8 (2022): 1429–36. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2022.02.008.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Nour M. Hammad, Sharon J. Herring, and Gary G. Bennett. “Using Interactive Text Messaging to Improve Diet Quality and Increase Redemption of Foods Approved by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: Protocol for a Cohort Feasibility Study.” Jmir Res Protoc 10, no. 12 (December 15, 2021): e32441. https://doi.org/10.2196/32441.
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  - Tripicchio, Gina L., Melissa Kay, Sharon Herring, Travis Cos, Carolyn Bresnahan, Danielle Gartner, Laura Stout Sosinsky, and Sarah B. Bass. “Development and Preliminary Feasibility of iByte4Health: A Mobile Health (mHealth) Pediatric Obesity Prevention Intervention to Engage Parents with Low-Income of Children 2-9 Years.” Nutrients 13, no. 12 (November 25, 2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124240.
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  - Miller, Hailey N., Miriam B. Berger, Sandy Askew, Melissa C. Kay, Christina M. Hopkins, Meghana Sai Iragavarapu, Mia de Leon, et al. “The Nourish Protocol: A digital health randomized controlled trial to promote the DASH eating pattern among adults with hypertension.” Contemp Clin Trials 109 (October 2021): 106539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2021.106539.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Nour M. Hammad, Sharon J. Herring, and Gary G. Bennett. “Using Interactive Text Messaging to Improve Diet Quality and Increase Redemption of Foods Approved by the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children: Protocol for a Cohort Feasibility Study (Preprint),” July 28, 2021. https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.32441.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Emily W. Duffy, Lisa J. Harnack, Andrea S. Anater, Joel C. Hampton, Alison L. Eldridge, and Mary Story. “Development and Application of a Total Diet Quality Index for Toddlers.” Nutrients 13, no. 6 (June 5, 2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13061943.
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  - Wood, Charles T., Whitney P. Witt, Asheley C. Skinner, Hsiang S. Yin, Russell L. Rothman, Lee M. Sanders, Alan M. Delamater, Kori B. Flower, Melissa C. Kay, and Eliana M. Perrin. “Effects of Breastfeeding, Formula Feeding, and Complementary Feeding on Rapid Weight Gain in the First Year of Life.” Acad Pediatr 21, no. 2 (March 2021): 288–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.09.009.
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  - Bennett, Gary G., Dori Steinberg, Jamiyla Bolton, John A. Gallis, Cayla Treadway, Sandy Askew, Melissa C. Kay, Kathryn I. Pollak, and Elizabeth L. Turner. “Optimizing an Obesity Treatment Using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy Framework: Protocol for a Randomized Factorial Trial.” Jmir Res Protoc 10, no. 1 (January 18, 2021): e19506. https://doi.org/10.2196/19506.
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  - Steinberg, Dori M., Melissa C. Kay, Laura P. Svetkey, Sandy Askew, Jacob Christy, Jasmine Burroughs, Hira Ahmed, and Gary G. Bennett. “Feasibility of a Digital Health Intervention to Improve Diet Quality Among Women With High Blood Pressure: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial.” Jmir Mhealth Uhealth 8, no. 12 (December 7, 2020): e17536. https://doi.org/10.2196/17536.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Heidi J. Silver, H Shonna Yin, Kori B. Flower, Russell L. Rothman, Lee M. Sanders, Alan M. Delamater, and Eliana M. Perrin. “Assessing Diet Quality in a Racially and Ethnically Diverse Cohort of Low-income Toddlers.” Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition 71, no. 5 (November 2020): 679–85. https://doi.org/10.1097/mpg.0000000000002871.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Rushina Cholera, Kori B. Flower, H Shonna Yin, Russell L. Rothman, Lee M. Sanders, Alan M. Delamater, and Eliana M. Perrin. “Are Low-Income, Diverse Mothers Able to Meet Breastfeeding Intentions After 2 Months of Breastfeeding?” Breastfeed Med 15, no. 7 (July 2020): 435–42. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2020.0025.
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  - White, Michelle J., Sarah C. Armstrong, Melissa C. Kay, Eliana M. Perrin, and Asheley Skinner. “Associations between milk fat content and obesity, 1999 to 2016.” Pediatr Obes 15, no. 5 (May 2020): e12612. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12612.
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  - Bennett, Gary G., Dori Steinberg, Jamiyla Bolton, John A. Gallis, Cayla Treadway, Sandy Askew, Melissa C. Kay, Kathryn I. Pollak, and Elizabeth L. Turner. “Optimizing an Obesity Treatment Using the Multiphase Optimization Strategy Framework: Protocol for a Randomized Factorial Trial (Preprint),” April 22, 2020. https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.19506.
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  - Steinberg, Dori M., Melissa C. Kay, Laura P. Svetkey, Sandy Askew, Jacob Christy, Jasmine Burroughs, Hira Ahmed, and Gary G. Bennett. “Feasibility of a Digital Health Intervention to Improve Diet Quality Among Women With High Blood Pressure: Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial (Preprint),” December 18, 2019. https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.17536.
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  - Duffy, Emily W., Melissa C. Kay, Emma Jacquier, Diane Catellier, Joel Hampton, Andrea S. Anater, and Mary Story. “Trends in Food Consumption Patterns of US Infants and Toddlers from Feeding Infants and Toddlers Studies (FITS) in 2002, 2008, 2016.” Nutrients 11, no. 11 (November 17, 2019). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112807.
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  - Berger, Miriam B., Dori M. Steinberg, Sandy Askew, John A. Gallis, Cayla C. Treadway, Joseph R. Egger, Melissa C. Kay, et al. “The Balance protocol: a pragmatic weight gain prevention randomized controlled trial for medically vulnerable patients within primary care.” Bmc Public Health 19, no. 1 (May 17, 2019): 596. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6926-7.
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  - Steinberg, Dori, Melissa Kay, Jasmine Burroughs, Laura P. Svetkey, and Gary G. Bennett. “The Effect of a Digital Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention on Adherence to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Dietary Pattern in Medically Vulnerable Primary Care Patients: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial.” J Acad Nutr Diet 119, no. 4 (April 2019): 574–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2018.12.011.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Jasmine Burroughs, Sandy Askew, Gary G. Bennett, Sarah Armstrong, and Dori M. Steinberg. “Digital Weight Loss Intervention for Parents of Children Being Treated for Obesity: A Prospective Cohort Feasibility Trial.” J Med Internet Res 20, no. 12 (December 20, 2018): e11093. https://doi.org/10.2196/11093.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Emily B. Welker, Emma F. Jacquier, and Mary T. Story. “Beverage Consumption Patterns among Infants and Young Children (0⁻47.9 Months): Data from the Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study, 2016.” Nutrients 10, no. 7 (June 26, 2018). https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10070825.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Jasmine Burroughs, Sandy Askew, Gary G. Bennett, Sarah Armstrong, and Dori M. Steinberg. “Digital Weight Loss Intervention for Parents of Children Being Treated for Obesity: A Prospective Cohort Feasibility Trial (Preprint),” May 18, 2018. https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.11093.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Heather Wasser, Linda S. Adair, Amanda L. Thompson, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Chirayath M. Suchindran, and Margaret E. Bentley. “Consumption of obesogenic foods in non-Hispanic black mother-infant dyads.” Matern Child Nutr 14, no. 1 (January 2018). https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12482.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Heather Wasser, Linda S. Adair, Amanda L. Thompson, Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Chirayath M. Suchindran, and Margaret E. Bentley. “Consumption of key food groups during the postpartum period in low-income, non-Hispanic black mothers.” Appetite 117 (October 1, 2017): 161–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.06.023.
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  - Tzioumis, Emma, Melissa C. Kay, Margaret E. Bentley, and Linda S. Adair. “Prevalence and trends in the childhood dual burden of malnutrition in low- and middle-income countries, 1990-2012.” Public Health Nutr 19, no. 8 (June 2016): 1375–88. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980016000276.
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  - Kay, Melissa C., Dianna D. Carroll, Susan A. Carlson, and Janet E. Fulton. “Awareness and knowledge of the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.” J Phys Act Health 11, no. 4 (May 2014): 693–98. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2012-0171.
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  - DeBastiani, Summer Dawn, Dianna D. Carroll, Melissa Cunningham, Sarah Lee, and Janet Fulton. “Awareness and knowledge of the youth 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.” J Phys Act Health 11, no. 3 (March 2014): 495–501. https://doi.org/10.1123/jpah.2012-0207.
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  - Bentley, Margaret E., Susan L. Johnson, Heather Wasser, Hilary Creed-Kanashiro, Monal Shroff, Sylvia Fernandez Rao, and Melissa Cunningham. “Formative research methods for designing culturally appropriate, integrated child nutrition and development interventions: an overview.” Ann N Y Acad Sci 1308 (January 2014): 54–67. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.12290.
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- Book Sections
  - Wood, C., and M. C. Kay. “Early childhood nutrition and obesity prevention.” In Encyclopedia of Child and Adolescent Health, First Edition, 1:310–24, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-818872-9.00099-6.
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Education, Training, & Certifications

Academic Positions Outside Duke

Subject Headings

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Book Sections