Background

Dr. Abshire graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Nursing with a BSN in 2006, an MSN in 2009, and a PhD in Nursing in 2014. He was an assistant professor at the Washington State University College of Nursing from 2015-2017 before joining the faculty at the University of South Carolina College of Nursing.

Dr. Abshire is a faculty affiliate in the Arnold School of Public Health’s Prevention Research Center and Nutrition Consortium. He previously served as the director of the Smart Start Honors Program and was a Pearce Faculty Fellow in the South Carolina Honors College.

Teaching

Dr. Abshire currently teaches research methods courses for both undergraduate Honors students (SCHC 279) and PhD students (NURS 810)  at the University of South Carolina. He has previously taught classes on culture and diversity, research and evidence-based practice, program planning and evaluation, and foundations for professional nursing. He received the College of Nursing’s Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2019.

Research

Rural health, men’s health, obesity, physical activity, nutrition, psychosocial determinants of health. Dr. Abshire is a university 2021 Breakthrough Stars Award Recipient.

Dissemination

Dr. Abshire has presented his research at local, regional, national, and international conferences including the Southern Nursing Research Society, the Southern Obesity Summit, the Western Institute of Nursing, the American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, the American Public Health Association Annual Conference, the National Rural Health Association Annual Conference, and the WONCA World Rural Health Conference. 

Professional Service

Dr. Abshire serves as a peer reviewer for multiple journals including:

• The American Journal of Public Health
• PLOS ONE
• BMJ Open
• Annals of Epidemiology
• The Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
• The Journal of Rural Health
• The Journal of American College Health
• The Journal of Transcultural Nursing
• The American Journal of Men’s Health
• The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing
• The Journal of PeriAnesthesia Nursing
• The Journal of Professional Nursing 

He is a member of professional organizations including:

• The Science Committee of the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science
• The National Rural Health Association
• The American Public Health Association
• The Southern Nursing Research Society
• Sigma Theta Tau International

Dr. Abshire currently serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Rural Health and is a member of the Rural Obesity and Chronic Disease Issue Group of the National Rural Health Association. He also currently chairs the Southern Nursing Research Society’s Development Committee. He has served as an ad hoc reviewer for the National Institutes of Health and was a past member on the Science Committee of the Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science.

Professional Practice

Dr. Abshire’s clinical experience includes neurosurgical intensive care nursing and stroke rehabilitation nursing. 

Research Studies (selected) 

Developing a Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Body Weight for Obese African American Men Living in the Rural South. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the National Institutes of Health-$739,328. 2019-2024. Principal Investigator.

Integrating Competitive Physical Activities into a Behavioral Weight Management Intervention for Rural-Dwelling Black Men with Obesity. University of South Carolina Office of Research, Magellan Apprentice Award-$1,000. 2021-2022. Faculty Mentor. 

Preferences and Resources for Weight Loss Interventions among Obese Primary Care Patients. University of South Carolina College of Nursing, Office of Research-$5,367. 2018-2019. Principal Investigator. 

Identifying Barriers to Quality Health Care and Outcomes for Injury: Language, Location, and Age. Washington State University HERRC Community Partnership eed Grant-$5,000. 2018-2019. Co-Investigator.

The Rural-Urban Obesity Disparity: Do Psychosocial and Environmental Factors Matter? Washington State University Faculty Seed Grant Program-$30,000. 2017-2018. Principal Investigator. 

Support Systems in Accelerated Nursing Programs: Gender-Based Perspectives and Impact on Academic Outcomes. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing-$3,000, 2016-2017. Co-Principal Investigator. 

Transitioning into the Community after Hospitalization: Improving Physical and Psychosocial Well-Being through Self-Management of Physical Activity in Patients with Cardiovascular Disease. Empire Health Foundation 2016 Rural Aging Responsive Grant Cycle- $10,000, 2016-2017. Co-Principal Investigator. 

Regional differences in cardiovascular disease risk factors among emerging adults attending college in Kentucky. Delta Psi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau International Research Award-$1,800; SAHA Award for Cardiovascular Research and Education: Nursing Student with UK HealthCare Award-$1,000, 2012-2014. Principal Investigator. 

Bridging the gap to quality care: The ISAT initiative for nursing faculty. Health Resources and Services Administration - $101,465.00, 2009-2011. Co-Investigator. 

Crafting the ultimate faculty simulation experience. Health Resources and Services Administration-$90,111.00, 2009-2013. Co-Investigator. 

Publications (selected) 

Abshire, D., An, K., Ashcraft, P. F., Catarelli, B., Davis, S., McNeill, C., Mumba, M. N., Loerzel, V., Prevost, S. S., & Rivera, A. (2025). Defining research for PhD and DNP prepared nurses: A collaborative approach. Research in Nursing & Health, 48(2), 97–99. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22448

 Abshire D. A. (2025). Improving the rigor of scientific writing. Research in Nursing & Health, 48(1), 5–6. https://doi.org/10.1002/nur.22433

Waraich, H. A., Wirth, M. D., Wandji, S., Graves, J. M., & Abshire, D. A. (2025). Weight status underestimation and weight management goals among adults in the rural South of the United States. The Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e12892. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12892

Davis, K., Abshire, D. A., Monroe, C., Rudisill, C., & Kaczynski, A. T. (2025). Association between obesogenic environments and childhood overweight/obesity across the United States: Differences by rurality. The Journal of Rural Health, 41(2), e12891. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12891

Graves, J. M., Abshire, D. A., Mackelprang, J. L., Klein, T. A., Gonzalez, C., Parrott, K., Eti, D. U., Ferris, J. G., Chacon, C. M., & Beck, A. D. (2025). Adult perceptions of mental health access barriers facing youth in rural Washington State: A group concept mapping study. The Journal of Rural Health, 41(1), e12866. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12866

Beese, S., Abshire, D. A., DeJong, T. L., & Carbone, J. T. (2024). An evaluation of the All of Us Research Program database to examine cumulative stress. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 31(12), 2968–2973. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocae201

Wippold, G. M., Abshire, D. A., Griffith, D. M., Zarrett, N., Gadson, B., Woods, T., & Wilson, D. K. (2024). Black men's health-related quality of life: A qualitative study to understand community-identified perception and needs. Health Psychology, 43(11), 822–832. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001403

Wandji, S. R., Tavakoli, A. S., Davis, J. E., Pope, R., & Abshire, D. A. (2024). Racial and gender differences in relapse potential and treatment acceptance among rural residents in a substance use disorder treatment program. The Journal of Rural Health, 40(4), 689–698. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12849

Wippold, G. M., Abshire, D. A., Wilson, D. K., Woods, T., Zarrett, N., & Griffith, D. M. (2024). Shop Talk: A qualitative study to understand peer health-related communication among Black men at the barbershop. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 58(7), 498–505. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaae027

Graves, J. M., Beese, S. R., Abshire, D. A., & Bennett, K. J. (2024). How rural is All of Us? Comparing characteristics of rural participants in the National Institute of Health's All of Us Research Program to other national data sources. The Journal of Rural Health, 40(4), 745–751. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12840

Kipp, C., Wilson, D. K., Brown, A., Quattlebaum, M., Loncar, H., Sweeney, A. M., & Abshire, D. A. (2024). Compounding effects of stress on diet, physical activity, and wellbeing among African American parents: A qualitative study to inform the LEADS health promotion trial. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 47(4), 647–661. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-024-00477-3

Wippold, G. M., Abshire, D. A., Garcia, K. A., Crichlow, Z., Frary, S. G., Murphy, E. R., Frank, L., Johnson, L., & Woods, T. (2024). Lessons Learned From a Community-Based Men's Health Fair. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 15, 21501319231222766. https://doi.org/10.1177/21501319231222766

Crouch, E., Abshire, D. A., Wirth, M. D., Hung, P., & Benavidez, G. A. (2023). Rural-urban differences in overweight and obesity, physical activity, and food security among children and adolescents. Preventing Chronic Disease, 20, E92. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd20.230136

Corbett, C. F., Wright, P. J., Donevant, S. B., Wickersham, K. E., Raynor, P. A., Vick, L. L., Chappell, K. K., Abshire, D. A., Dawson, R. M., & Andrews, J. O. (2023). Next generation nurse scientists: A systems approach to engaging undergraduate students in research. Nursing Outlook, 71(6), 102054. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.outlook.2023.102054

Abshire, D. A., Wippold, G. M., Wilson, D. K., Pinto, B. M., Probst, J. C., & Hardin, J. W. (2023). A qualitative study of ecological and motivational factors to inform weight management interventions for Black men in the rural South of the United States. Social Science & Medicine, 326, 115898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115898

Abshire, D. A., Graves, J. M., Amiri, S., & Williams-Gilbert, W. (2022). Differences in loneliness across the rural-urban continuum among adults living in Washington State. The Journal of Rural Health, 38(1), 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1111/jrh.12535

Graves, J. M., Abshire, D. A., & Alejandro, A. G. (2022). System- and individual-level barriers to accessing medical care services across the rural-urban spectrum, Washington State. Health Services Insights, 15, 11786329221104667. https://doi.org/10.1177/11786329221104667

Sheng, J., Abshire, D. A., Heiney, S. P., & Wirth, M. D. (2022). Acculturation, physical activity, and metabolic syndrome in Asian American adults. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 33(6), 675–684. https://doi.org/10.1177/10436596221114150

Horton Dias, C. E., Dawson, R. M., Harris, D. M., Wirth, M. D., & Abshire, D. A. (2022). Foods and beverages available to nurses in hospital cafeterias, vending machines, and gift shops. American Journal of Health Promotion, 36(7), 1133–1141. https://doi.org/10.1177/08901171221089620 

Abshire, D. A., Wippold, G. M., Wilson, D. K., Pinto, B. M., Probst, J. C., & Hardin, J. W. (2021). Rurality, gender, and obesity: An intersectionality perspective on rural men's health. American Journal of Public Health, 111(10), 1761–1763. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306482

Abshire, D. A., McDonnell, K. K., Donevant, S. B., Corbett, C. F., Tavakoli, A. S., Felder, T. M., & Pinto, B. M. (2021). Pivoting nursing research and scholarship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing Research, 70(3), 165–172. https://doi.org/10.1097/NNR.0000000000000493

 Horton-Dias, C., Dawson, R. M., Abshire, D. A., Harris, D., & Wirth, M. D. (in press). Free food at work: A concept analysis. Workplace Health & Safety.

Abshire, D. , McDonnell, K. K., Donevant, S. B., Corbett, C. F., Tavakoli, A. S., Felder, T. M. & Pinto, B. M. (in press). Pivoting nursing research and scholarship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing Research. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1097/NNR.0000000000000493.

Abshire, D. A., Graves, J. M., Amiri, S., & Williams-Gilbert, W. (2020). Differences in loneliness across the rural-urban continuum among adults living in Washington State. Journal of Rural Health. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/jrh.12535.

Bamishigbin, Jr. O. N. Wilson, D. K., Abshire, D. A., Mejias-Lancheros, C., & Dunkel Schetter, C. (2020). Father involvement in infant parenting in an ethnically diverse community sample: Predicting paternal depressive symptoms. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 578688. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.578688.

Graves, J. M., Abshire, D. A., Mackelprang, J. L., Amiri, S., & Beck, A. (2020). Association of rurality and availability of youth mental health facilities with suicide prevention services in the United States. JAMA Network Open, 3(10). e2021471. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.21471.

Merrell, M. A., Probst, J. C., Crouch, E., Abshire D. A., McKinney, S. H., & Haynes, E. E. (2020). A national survey of RN-to-BSN programs: Are they reaching rural students? Journal of Nursing Education, 59(10), 557-565. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20200921-04.

Graves, J. M., Abshire, D. A., Undeberg, M., Forman, L., & Amiri, S. (2020). Rural-urban disparities in access to Medicaid-contracted pharmacies in Washington State. Preventing Chronic Disease, 17:E92. doi: 10.5888/pcd17.200066.

Odahowski, C. L., Crouch, E. L., Zahnd, W, E., Probst, J. C., McKinney, S. H., & Abshire, D. A. (2020). Rural-urban differences in educational attainment among registered nurses: Implications for achieving an 80% BSN workforce. Journal of Professional Nursing. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.profnurs.2020.04.008

Abshire, D. A., Gibbs, S., McManus, C., Caldwell, T., & Cox. D. (2020). Interest, resources, and preferences for weight loss programs among primary care patients with obesity. Patient Education and Counseling, 103(9), 1846-1849. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2020.04.003

Abshire, D. A., Graves, J. M., & Dawson, R. M. (2020). Rural-urban differences in college students’ cardiovascular risk perceptions. Journal of American College Health, 68(5), 477-483. doi: 10.1080/07448481.2019.1577866

Abshire, D. A., Wilson, D. K., Sweeney, A., & Pinto, B. M. (2019) Correlates of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and exercise motivation in underserved African American men. American Journal of Men’s Health, 13(3), 1557988319855155. doi: 10.1177/1557988319855155