Background

Dr. Oudat earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2012, a Master of Public Health in Public Health and Epidemiology from the University of Newcastle, Australia in 2017, and a PhD from the University of Cincinnati in 2023.

From 2023 to 2024, he served as a postdoctoral research fellow and lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology and Public Health at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. He was also selected as a mentee in the American Public Health Association’s Maternal and Child Health Mentorship Program. Dr. Oudat joined the faculty of the University of South Carolina College of Nursing in 2026.

Teaching

Dr. Oudat has experience teaching undergraduate - and graduate-level courses in nursing, public health, and health sciences, including nursing science, epidemiology, health behavior, research methods, chronic disease prevention, health promotion, and obesity prevention. He has also contributed to instruction and guest lectures across several academic institutions.

Research

Maternal and child health, childhood obesity, caregiver feeding practices, early-life nutrition and diet quality, cardiometabolic risk, health behaviors and outcomes, epidemiology, health promotion.

Dissemination

Dr. Oudat has presented his research at local, regional, national, and international conferences including the National Association of Neonatal Nurses Annual Conference, the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, the International Conference on Kangaroo Mother Care in Madrid, and the Australian Disaster Resilience Conference in Sydney.

Professional Service

Dr. Oudat serves as a peer reviewer for journals including the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. He currently serves as an assistant guest editor for a special issue of Healthcare focused on innovative approaches to childhood obesity prevention and as an abstract reviewer for the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo. 

Dr. Oudat served on the Research and Scholarly Activities Council and the Committee on Equity and Inclusive Excellence at the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing, as well as the Committee for Inclusion and Equity in the Department of Kinesiology and Public Health at California Polytechnic State University. He is a member of professional organizations including:

• American Public Health Association
• American Association of Colleges of Nursing
• Midwest Nursing Research Society
• International Future Nurse Leaders
• Sigma Theta Tau International

Professional Practice

Dr. Oudat has practiced in academic, public health, community, and research settings, with experience in maternal and child health, health promotion, nutrition, chronic disease prevention, and population-based research. His professional experience spans the United States, Australia and Jordan.

Research Studies (selected)

Preschool Children’s Diet Quality and Caregiver Feeding Practices. University of Cincinnati Graduate Student Government Research Award—$2,000. 2022–2023. Principal Investigator.

Telehealth Assessment and Skill-Building Kit (TASK III). National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (R01NR020184)—$2,945,052. 2022–2027. Research and Clinical Research Professional.

PREEMIE PROGRESS: Family Management Program for Parents of Preterm Infants. National Institute of Nursing Research, National Institutes of Health (K23NR019081)—$558,138. 2020–2023. Research Assistant.

Publications (selected)

Oudat, Q., Messiah, S. E., Pitts, S., & Ghoneum, A. (2026). Caregiver Feeding Practices and Late-Preschool BMI-for-Age z-Score Trajectories Among WIC-Enrolled Children: A National Longitudinal Study. Nutrients, 18(14), 2249. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18142249

Oudat, Q., Messiah, S., Bakas, T., & Ghoneum, A. (2026). Caregiver Weight Misperception and Feeding Practices in U.S. Preschool-Aged Children: A Theory-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Nutrients, 18(12), 1880. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18121880

Oudat, Q., Lee, R. C., Miller, E. L., Couch, S. C., & Bakas, T. (2025). The Factors Influencing Feeding Practices of Primary Caregivers of Preschoolers: A Theory-Based Cross-Sectional Study. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 12(2), 226. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12020226

Oudat, Q., Couch, S., Miller, E., Lee, R. C., & Bakas, T. (2025). Theoretically Based Factors Affecting Diet Quality of Preschool Children: A Cross-Sectional Study. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 12(2), 114. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12020114

Oudat, Q., Miller, E. L., Couch, S. C., Lee, R. C., & Bakas, T. (2025). Understanding Caregivers' Influence on Preschoolers' Eating Behaviors: An Integrative Review Guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 12(2), 163. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12020163

Oudat, Q., Messiah, S. E., Ghoneum, A. D., & Okour, A. (2025). A Narrative Review of Multifactorial Determinants of Childhood Eating Behaviors: Insights and Interventions Using the Social Ecological Model. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 12(3), 388. https://doi.org/10.3390/children12030388

Oudat, Q., Messiah, S. E., & Ghoneum, A. D. (2025). A Multi-Level Approach to Childhood Obesity Prevention and Management: Lessons from Japan and the United States. Nutrients, 17(5), 838. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17050838

Oudat, Q., Messiah, S. E., & Ghoneum, A. D. (2025). The Role of Virtual Reality in Childhood Obesity Treatment: A Narrative Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 22(2), 195. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph22020195

Weber, A. M., Bakas, T., Bailey, R., Oudat, Q., Voos, K. C., Rice, J. B., Parikh, N. A., Tubbs-Cooley, H. L., Lambert, J., Rota, M. J., & Kaplan, H. C. (2025). Using FRAME Documentation to Achieve RE-AIM Goals During Iterative, Stakeholder-Engaged Refinement of a Family Management Intervention for Parents of Preterm Infants. Journal of advanced nursing, 81(11), 7690–7706. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16477