Sarah Commisso Armstrong

Sarah Commisso Armstrong
Professor of Pediatrics

Dr. Armstrong's clinical and research interests include pediatric nutrition and the treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity, along with related health problems. As director of the Duke Children's Healthy Lifestyles Program, Dr. Armstrong oversees a cohort of over 3000 overweight children and teenagers. She is a member of the Executive Committee for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Obesity. Dr. Armstrong's research focuses on leveraging innovative strategies to improve children's nutrition and activity, including mobile health interventions, community partnerships, and medication or surgical approaches.

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Primary Care Pediatrics, Pediatrics 2019
Professor in Population Health Sciences, Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments 2019
Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health, Family Medicine and Community Health 2019
Affiliate, Duke Global Health Institute, Duke Global Health Institute, University Institutes and Centers 2016
Member of the Duke Clinical Research Institute, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Institutes and Centers 2017

Contact Information

4020 N. Roxboro Rd, Durham, NC 27710
Box 3675 Med Ctr, Durham, NC 27710
sarah.c.armstrong@duke.edu (919) 620-5374

Background
Education, Training, & Certifications
- Pediatric Internship & Residency, Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia 2000 - 2003
- M.D., University of Virginia 2000
Duke Appointment History
- Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Family Medicine and Community Health, Community Health, Family Medicine and Community Health 2014 - 2019
- Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Primary Care Pediatrics, Pediatrics 2014 - 2019
- Associate Professor Track V in Population Health Sciences, Population Health Sciences, Basic Science Departments 2018 - 2019
- Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Primary Care Pediatrics, Pediatrics 2010 - 2014
- Medical Instructor in the Department of Pediatrics, Pediatrics, Primary Care Pediatrics, Pediatrics 2006 - 2010
Recognition
In the News
- FEB 26, 2018
  
  Newest Data Shows Childhood Obesity Continues to Increase
- APR 26, 2016
  
  Despite Efforts, Child Obesity Remains on the Rise
Research
Selected Grants
Publications & Artistic Works
Selected Publications
- Academic Articles
  - 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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  - Lobelo, Felipe, Natalie D. Muth, Sara Hanson, Blaise A. Nemeth, Blaise A. COUNCIL ON SPORTS MEDICINE AND FITNESS, and Blaise A. SECTION ON OBESITY. “Physical Activity Assessment and Counseling in Pediatric Clinical Settings.” Pediatrics 145, no. 3 (March 2020). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3992.
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  - White, Michelle J., Jessica Hoffman, Sarah Armstrong, and Asheley C. Skinner. “Body Mass Index Change Between Referral to and Enrollment in Pediatric Weight Management.” Clin Pediatr (Phila) 59, no. 1 (January 2020): 70–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922819884587.
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  - Armstrong, Sarah C., Christopher F. Bolling, Marc P. Michalsky, Kirk W. Reichard, and Kirk W. SECTION ON OBESITY, SECTION ON SURGERY. “Pediatric Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: Evidence, Barriers, and Best Practices.” Pediatrics 144, no. 6 (December 2019). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3223.
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  - Bolling, Christopher F., Sarah C. Armstrong, Kirk W. Reichard, Marc P. Michalsky, and Marc P. SECTION ON OBESITY, SECTION ON SURGERY. “Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery for Pediatric Patients With Severe Obesity.” Pediatrics 144, no. 6 (December 2019). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-3224.
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  - Armstrong, Sarah, and Charlene Wong. “Physical Activity Interventions Improve Quality of Life of Children With Obesity: Should We Expect Them to Also Decrease Body Mass Index?” J Adolesc Health 65, no. 3 (September 2019): 309–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.05.011.
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  - Moseley, Connor A., Madhulika Vulimiri, Robert S. Saunders, William K. Bleser, Eliana M. Perrin, Sarah C. Armstrong, Gary X. Wang, Peter A. Ubel, Mark McClellan, and Charlene A. Wong. “Medicaid and CHIP Child Health Beneficiary Incentives: Program Landscape and Stakeholder Insights.” Pediatrics 144, no. 2 (August 2019). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-3161.
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  - Moseley, Connor A., Asheley C. Skinner, Eliana M. Perrin, Sarah C. Armstrong, Eric D. Peterson, and Charlene A. Wong. “Adolescent and Young Adult Recreational, Occupational, and Transportation Activity: Activity Recommendation and Weight Status Relationships.” J Adolesc Health 65, no. 1 (July 2019): 147–54. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2019.01.021.
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  - Benjamin-Neelon, S. E., A. Platt, M. Bacardi-Gascon, S. Armstrong, B. Neelon, and A. Jimenez-Cruz. “Greenspace, physical activity, and BMI in children from two cities in northern Mexico.” Preventive Medicine Reports 14 (June 1, 2019). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmedr.2019.100870.
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  - Kumar, Seema, Eileen C. King, Amy L. Christison, Aaron S. Kelly, Adolfo J. Ariza, Claudia Borzutzky, Suzanne Cuda, Shelley Kirk, and Shelley POWER Work Group. “Health Outcomes of Youth in Clinical Pediatric Weight Management Programs in POWER.” J Pediatr 208 (May 2019): 57-65.e4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpeds.2018.12.049.
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  - Muth, Natalie D., William H. Dietz, Sheela N. Magge, Rachel K. Johnson, Rachel K. AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS, Rachel K. SECTION ON OBESITY, Rachel K. COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION, and Rachel K. AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION. “Public Policies to Reduce Sugary Drink Consumption in Children and Adolescents.” Pediatrics 143, no. 4 (April 2019). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2019-0282.
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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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  - “Skinner AC, Ravanbakht SN, Skelton JA, Perrin EM, Armstrong SC. Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity in US Children, 1999-2016. Pediatrics. 2018;141(3):e20173459.” Pediatrics 142, no. 3 (September 2018). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2018-1916.
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  - Armstrong, Sarah, Charlene A. Wong, Eliana Perrin, Sara Page, Lauren Sibley, and Asheley Skinner. “Association of Physical Activity With Income, Race/Ethnicity, and Sex Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States: Findings From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2007-2016.” Jama Pediatr 172, no. 8 (August 1, 2018): 732–40. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.1273.
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  - Andrews, Maria, Carolyn Sawyer, Leah Frerichs, Asheley Cockrell Skinner, Jessica Hoffman, Kiah Gaskin, and Sarah Armstrong. “Feasibility of a Clinic-Community Partnership to Treat Childhood Obesity.” Clin Pediatr (Phila) 57, no. 7 (June 2018): 783–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922817734359.
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  - Skinner, Asheley Cockrell, Sophie N. Ravanbakht, Joseph A. Skelton, Eliana M. Perrin, and Sarah C. Armstrong. “Prevalence of Obesity and Severe Obesity in US Children, 1999-2016.” Pediatrics 141, no. 3 (March 2018). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3459.
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  - Armstrong, S. C., R. Puhl, A. C. Skinner, and A. Kratka. “Person-first language in pediatric obesity research.” Pediatr Obes 13, no. 2 (February 2018): 130. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12211.
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  - Armstrong, Sarah, Alan Mendelsohn, Gary Bennett, Elsie M. Taveras, Amanda Kimberg, and Alex R. Kemper. “Texting Motivational Interviewing: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Motivational Interviewing Text Messages Designed to Augment Childhood Obesity Treatment.” Child Obes 14, no. 1 (January 2018): 4–10. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2017.0089.
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  - Hoffman, Jessica, Leah Frerichs, Mary Story, Jason Jones, Kiah Gaskin, Annie Apple, Asheley Skinner, and Sarah Armstrong. “An Integrated Clinic-Community Partnership for Child Obesity Treatment: A Randomized Pilot Trial.” Pediatrics 141, no. 1 (January 2018). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-1444.
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  - Pont, Stephen J., Rebecca Puhl, Stephen R. Cook, Wendelin Slusser, Wendelin SECTION ON OBESITY, and Wendelin OBESITY SOCIETY. “Stigma Experienced by Children and Adolescents With Obesity.” Pediatrics 140, no. 6 (December 2017). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3034.
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  - Winkler, Megan R., Elizabeth D. Moore, Gary G. Bennett, Sarah C. Armstrong, and Debra H. Brandon. “Parent-adolescent influences on everyday dietary practices: Perceptions of adolescent females with obesity and their mothers.” Matern Child Nutr 13, no. 4 (October 2017). https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.12416.
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  - Magge, Sheela N., Elizabeth Goodman, Sarah C. Armstrong, Sarah C. COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION, Sarah C. SECTION ON ENDOCRINOLOGY, and Sarah C. SECTION ON OBESITY. “The Metabolic Syndrome in Children and Adolescents: Shifting the Focus to Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Clustering.” Pediatrics 140, no. 2 (August 2017). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-1603.
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  - Puhl, R. M., M. S. Himmelstein, S. C. Armstrong, and E. Kingsford. “Adolescent preferences and reactions to language about body weight.” Int J Obes (Lond) 41, no. 7 (July 2017): 1062–65. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2017.55.
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  - Kirk, Shelley, Sarah Armstrong, Eileen King, Christine Trapp, Mollie Grow, Jared Tucker, Madeline Joseph, et al. “Establishment of the Pediatric Obesity Weight Evaluation Registry: A National Research Collaborative for Identifying the Optimal Assessment and Treatment of Pediatric Obesity.” Child Obes 13, no. 1 (February 2017): 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2016.0060.
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  - Armstrong, Sarah C., and Asheley Cockrell Skinner. “Defining "Success" in Childhood Obesity Interventions in Primary Care.” Pediatrics 138, no. 4 (October 2016). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2497.
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  - Armstrong, Sarah, Suzanne Lazorick, Sarah Hampl, Joseph A. Skelton, Charles Wood, David Collier, and Eliana M. Perrin. “Physical Examination Findings Among Children and Adolescents With Obesity: An Evidence-Based Review.” Pediatrics 137, no. 2 (February 2016): e20151766. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2015-1766.
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  - Pollak, Kathryn I., Paul Nagy, John Bigger, Alicia Bilheimer, Pauline Lyna, Xiaomei Gao, Michael Lancaster, et al. “Effect of teaching motivational interviewing via communication coaching on clinician and patient satisfaction in primary care and pediatric obesity-focused offices.” Patient Educ Couns 99, no. 2 (February 2016): 300–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2015.08.013.
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  - Newbern, Dorothee, Pinar Gumus Balikcioglu, Metin Balikcioglu, James Bain, Michael Muehlbauer, Robert Stevens, Olga Ilkayeva, et al. “Sex differences in biomarkers associated with insulin resistance in obese adolescents: metabolomic profiling and principal components analysis.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab 99, no. 12 (December 2014): 4730–39. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-2080.
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  - Dolinsky, Diana H., Sarah Armstrong, Caren Mangarelli, and Alex R. Kemper. “The association between vitamin D and cardiometabolic risk factors in children: a systematic review.” Clin Pediatr (Phila) 52, no. 3 (March 2013): 210–23. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922812470742.
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  - Dolinsky, Diana H., Sarah C. Armstrong, and Sanjay Kinra. “The clinical treatment of childhood obesity.” Indian J Pediatr 80 Suppl 1 (March 2013): S48–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12098-012-0766-0.
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  - Dolinsky, D. H., S. C. Armstrong, and S. Kinra. “The clinical treatment of childhood obesity.” Indian Journal of Pediatrics 80 Suppl 1 (January 1, 2013).
  - Dolinsky, Diana H., Sarah C. Armstrong, and Truls Østbye. “Predictors of attrition from a clinical pediatric obesity treatment program.” Clin Pediatr (Phila) 51, no. 12 (December 2012): 1168–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922812458355.
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  - Schwartz, Robert P., Mara Z. Vitolins, L Douglas Case, Sarah C. Armstrong, Eliana M. Perrin, Josephine Cialone, and Ronny A. Bell. “The YMCA Healthy, Fit, and Strong Program: a community-based, family-centered, low-cost obesity prevention/treatment pilot study.” Child Obes 8, no. 6 (December 2012): 577–82. https://doi.org/10.1089/chi.2012.0060.
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  - Dolinsky, Diana H., Sarah C. Armstrong, Emmanuel B. Walter, and Alex R. Kemper. “The effectiveness of a primary care-based pediatric obesity program.” Clin Pediatr (Phila) 51, no. 4 (April 2012): 345–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922811425232.
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  - Silberberg, Mina, Lori Carter-Edwards, Gwen Murphy, Meghan Mayhew, Kathryn Kolasa, Eliana M. Perrin, Sarah Armstrong, Cameron Graham, and Nidu Menon. “Treating pediatric obesity in the primary care setting to prevent chronic disease: perceptions and knowledge of providers and staff.” N C Med J 73, no. 1 (January 2012): 9–14.
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  - Dolinsky, Diana H., and Sarah Armstrong. “An 8-year-old girl with headache and syncope.” Pediatr Ann 40, no. 12 (December 2011): 594–97. https://doi.org/10.3928/00904481-20111103-04.
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  - Slusser, Wendy, Karan Staten, Karen Stephens, Lenna Liu, Christine Yeh, Sarah Armstrong, Daniel A. DeUgarte, and Matthew Haemer. “Payment for obesity services: examples and recommendations for stage 3 comprehensive multidisciplinary intervention programs for children and adolescents.” Pediatrics 128 Suppl 2 (September 2011): S78–85. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-0480H.
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  - Armstrong, S. C., J. Wacker, D. Best, and M. E. McPherson. “Fighting childhood obesity (Part 2): Resources to help the community physician curb this epidemic.” Contemporary Pediatrics 28, no. 2 (May 5, 2011).
  - Dolinsky, Diana H., Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Eliana Perrin, and Sarah C. Armstrong. “Recognizing and preventing childhood obesity: Challenging pediatricians with averting this epidemic even in their littlest patients.” Contemp Pediatr 28, no. 1 (January 1, 2011): 32–42.
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  - Bravender, Terrill, Alexandra Russell, Richard J. Chung, and Sarah C. Armstrong. “A "novel" intervention: a pilot study of children's literature and healthy lifestyles.” Pediatrics 125, no. 3 (March 2010): e513–17. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-1666.
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  - Armstrong, Sarah C., and Hollis Seunarine. “Limits of the Health Plan Employer Data Information Set (HEDIS) criteria in determining asthma severity for children, applied to an impoverished, urban population.” Pediatrics 115, no. 5 (May 2005): 1453. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-0071.
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- Book Sections
  - Armstrong, S., J. A. Jackson, and J. L. Hoffman. “The role of the primary care provider in long-term counseling: Establishing a therapeutic alliance with the child and family.” In Contemporary Endocrinology, 685–93, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-68192-4_39.
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  - Armstrong, S. C. “Early Life and Epidemiologic Factors Associated with Child Obesity.” In Clinical Care of the Child with Obesity: A Learner’s and Teacher’s Guide. McGraw Hill Professional, 2015.
  - Armstrong, S. C. “Motivational Interviewing in pediatric and adolescent mental health care.” In Dulcan’s Textbook of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. American Psychiatric Pub, 2015.
  - Dolinsky, D. H., C. M. Baker-Smith, A. E. Czinn, A. S. Milazzo, and S. C. Armstrong. “Chapter 9: Lifestyle interventions for blood pressure control in children and adolescents.” In Nutrition, Lifestyle Factors, and Blood Pressure, edited by P. H. Lin and L. P. Svetkey. Boca Raton, Florida: CRC Press, 2012.
  - Armstrong, S. C. “Adolescent Obesity.” In Adolescent Medicine Today A Guide to Caring for the Adolescent Patient. World Scientific, 2012.
  - Dolinsky, D. H., S. C. Armstrong, C. M. Baker-Smith, A. E. Czinn, and A. S. Milazzo. “Lifestyle interventions for blood pressure control in children and adolescents.” In Nutrition, Lifestyle Factors, and Blood Pressure, 159–90, 2012.
Teaching & Mentoring
Recent Courses
Advising & Mentoring
- Dr. Armstrong is an approved research mentor for third year medical students.

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Education, Training, & Certifications

Duke Appointment History

In the News

Selected Grants

Selected Publications

Academic Articles

Book Sections

Recent Courses

Advising & Mentoring