Nutrition for Underserved Elders Via Application (NUEVA)
GOALS
The goal of the NUEVA team is to evaluate and sustain a scalable, non-traditional, multi-platform food delivery application by using community-engaged and mixed methods research to increase capacity for senior nutrition through digital health intervention, assessment, and evaluation that improves food and nutrition security, loneliness and socialization, and health and mental health status of underserved older adult populations while also reducing food loss and waste. This project is an extension of promising practices that emerged during COVID-19.
WHY WE ARE HERE
who we are
We are a committed group of interdisciplinary faculty, staff, and students who are involved with research for NUEVA.
what we do
NEWS
LATEST NEWS
Dr. Biediger-Friedman and Dr. Maleki will be presenting at 2025 Aging in Texas Conference
Dr. Biediger-Friedman and Dr. Maleki will lead a presentation titled ‘NUEVA: Nutrition for Underserved Elders Via Application development and the Older Adult Socioeconomic Disadvantage Index (OASDI)’ on June 26, 2025 at the 2025 Aging in Texas Conference.
They will present publicly available program resources for NUEVA. Additionally, the novel Older Adult Socioeconomic Disadvantage Index (OASDI) will be reviewed, highlighting potentially at-risk Central Texas assessments of older adults populations.
NUEVA PUBLISHES SECOND PAPER
January 20, 2025 - NUEVA investigators Drs. Shadi Maleki, Cassandra M. Johnson, Francis A. Mendez Mediavilla, Ramalingam Shanmugam and Lesli Biediger-Friedman authored an original research article titled “A socioeconomic disadvantage index for informing policy, systems, and environmental change interventions for senior nutrition programs” in the Frontiers in Public Health journal in January 2025.
EVENTS
Health Scholar Showcase 2025: U3 Mental Health Research
NUEVA presented two posters at the THRC Health Scholar Showcase 2025: U3 Mental Health Research on Friday, April 4, 2025 at University Performing Arts Center on the campus of Texas State University. The Health Scholar Showcase is an annual event hosted by Texas State University's Translational Health Research Center. The showcase, which is the largest university-wide faculty research event at Texas State, brings together faculty, staff, and community members to share examples of health research from every college and research center.
NUEVA presentation at the 2024 Joint Meeting of AGX and SWAAG
The AGX Board was pleased to have the Applied Geography community join them in San Marcos, Texas from October 6-8, 2024 for a joint meeting with the Southwest Division of the American Association of Geographers.
Dr. Johnson presents for Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)
Dr. Cassandra Johnson presented at the quarterly meetings of The Regional Transit Coordination Committee (RTCC) on 9/10/24, 12/3/24, and 6/10/25 in Austin, Texas. The RTCC provides coordination support for transportation organizations, health and human service agencies, and other transit providers.
Health Scholar Showcase 2025
NUEVA: Insights from Alpha and Beta Testing
Past Events
POLICY AND INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT
WEBINAR SPOTLIGHT
International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Ageing, Technology, and Readiness: Human Factors and Smart Home Innovations - This webinar brings together the e-&mHealth and Ageing Interest Groups to explore the challenges and opportunities of using technology to support healthy ageing. We will examine the human factors influencing technology adoption among older adults and discuss how these insights apply to innovative models such as Health Smart Homes and the Ecology of Readiness.
Moderator: Trynke Hoekstra, Amsterdam Public Health Group
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
The Food Forum hosted a webinar, Optimizing Health with Age: What is Nutrition’s Role?, on November 20, 2024, from 9 AM – 12 PM EDT. The webinar explored what “optimum” health looks like and age-related health changes, such as immunity, muscle decline, and cognitive decline. The webinar also covered age-related changes in nutrient needs and ways to achieve food and nutrition access for older adults. The webinar concluded with discussion on age-related nutritional barriers and opportunities.
