Improving Current and Future Mental and Physical Health Outcomes
Tyler Dregney, PhD, is a T32 Cancer Disparities Trainee. Dr. Dregney completed his PhD from the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. His emphasis was on sport and exercise psychology with a minor in gerontology from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. His research interests and background are rooted in exercise science and understanding ways to make physical activity approachable and accessible to improve current and future mental and physical health outcomes.
Tell us more about your background, where you grew up, and your education.
I'm from Reedsburg, Wisconsin. It is near Wisconsin Dells. I went to school in that area and later attended the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, for undergrad. I completed my bachelor's in Exercise and Sports Science-Physical Education and obtained a teaching degree in Physical Education and Adapted Physical Education. After completing my undergrad, I worked with Dr. Beth Lewis in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota. During this period, I completed my master's.
For my master's thesis, we conducted a remote study during COVID. We studied high-intensity interval training and how it might impact an individual’s psychosocial outcomes compared to continuous training. I continued to work with Dr. Lewis during my doctoral program, who served as my PhD advisor. My dissertation followed a similar research theme. I sought to understand how various forms of physical activity impact people's adherence to exercise and their psychosocial outcomes.
Your research interests have a similar theme. What were some key influences that led you to this area of study?
Growing up, I have always been active with exercise, specifically through school sports and after-school activities. However, when I transitioned from high school to college, leading to post-graduation, I began to notice how the absence of school sports or access to a university recreation center left an impact on my lifestyle and those around me. We no longer had the same access to exercise, compared to high school or undergrad. It suddenly became too expensive, and adjusting to a new schedule as a young adult was a new challenge.
Upon starting my graduate work, and even during my physical education teacher training, I was interested in understanding how we can make exercise enjoyable during different life stages. Further, identifying ways to make it accessible so people can easily include it in their day-to-day lives.
What barriers to exercise have you observed?
Mainly from my social networks, many of us were in team sports during kindergarten, all through high school. In my research, I observed that by the age of 26, only 5% of adults participate in team sports. So, those life transitions can impact lifestyle and access. Particularly when someone has spent most of their childhood and young adulthood engaged in an activity, its sudden inaccessibility or absence from their routine can leave them uncertain about how to stay active moving forward.
What current research are you working on? Particularly in the T32 Cancers Disparities Training Program.
I have three mentors that I work with in my postdoc, from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health and the Medical School, and a community mentor. Katie Hendel, PhD, MS, RD, serves as my mentor through the University of Minnesota School of Public Health. Dr. Hendel has a K01 grant to run an after-school program for middle school students in Saint Paul Public Schools. My work with Dr. Hendel involves looking at how college mentors influence middle school students' mental health and health behaviors. Such as physical activity, and then comparing that to a different school that doesn’t have college mentorship programs.
We are seeking to understand the connections between college mentors and the impact they have on middle schoolers through physical activity and mental health. All the data has been collected for this research, and we are currently analyzing it. The hope is that it will help us develop strategies and guide us on the next steps.
My other mentor is Drew Busch, PhD, LP. Dr. Busch works at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI). My work with him focuses on physical activity and mental health. We recently submitted a K01 for me to continue working with him once I complete my postdoc. If awarded, the project would focus on researching strength training in men with depression. We are seeking to understand how we can use strength training to address depression and inactivity to address cardiovascular disease risk through both of those risk factors.
Finally, I am collaborating with a community partner, SaLaHmo. My two mentors at SoLaHmo are Shannon Pergament, MPH, MSW, and Walter Novillo, JD, MBA, PhD. We’re in the early stage of preparing a nutrition and physical activity intervention with families involved with SaLaHmo. The intervention is geared towards preschool and kindergarten-age children. It is in the qualitative stage, and we’re working on the focus groups with parents.
What interests do you have outside of your research?
I'm on a basketball team through a Twin Cities league, and I'll usually play with a group of graduate students and professors on Fridays. I also play in a volleyball league with my girlfriend and her friends. I read a lot over the summer. A recent book is “The Last One at the Wedding” by Jason Rekulak. I went to the library one day and randomly selected it; it ended up being really good.
You can connect with Tyler Dregney at [email protected]
The T32 Cancer Disparities Training Program is a joint effort between the University of Minnesota Medical School and School of Public Health. It is funded by the National Cancer Institute.
