Ilana Chertok

Dr. Ilana Azulay Chertok is a Professor and Associate Director of Nursing Research and Scholarship in the Ohio University College of Health Sciences and Professions School of Nursing. As an international researcher in maternal-infant health, epidemiologist, nurse and lactation consultant, the primary focus of her research is examining factors influencing maternal-infant health, women’s health and lactation. She engages in interdisciplinary research in the United States and the WHO European Region, with a specific focus on culturally diverse populations. Dr. Chertok has served as a mentor to students and health professionals of various disciplines including nursing, medicine, public health and global health.

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of Washington, 2003-2005
• Ph.D., Epidemiology, Ben-Gurion University, 2003
• MSN, Nursing, West Virginia University, 2008
• BSN, Nursing, Rush University, 1998
• B.A., International Relations, University of Pennsylvania,1991

Research/Professional Interests

• Maternal-infant health research
• Lactation 
• Women’s health
• Culture and health

Global Health Publications:

• Mitchell E, Chertok IA. (2024). Critical care nurses’ perspectives of caring for patients with cancer. Dimensions of Critical Care Nursing. 43(5):239-245. Videl H, Levin C, Chertok IA. (2024). Perceived health risks, health behaviors, and BMI among diverse adults in Israel. Journal of Transcultural Nursing 35, 151-160. 
• Pohol A, Chertok IA, Golan R, Oron A, Artzi-Medvedik R. (2024). Exclusive breastfeeding among native-born, immigrant, and refugee women. Harefuah IMAJ 26, 1-7. Artzi-Medvedik R, Tsikholska L, Chertok IRA. (2024). Qualitative exploration of the experience of child feeding among Ukrainian refugee and immigrant mothers during escape and relocation. Journal of Pediatric Health Care. 38(1), 21-29. 
• Hopgood D, Cunningham K, Chertok IRA. (2024). Religious leaders’ perspectives on rural communities’ responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA. Journal of Religion and Health 63(1), 725-740. 
• Lima dos Santos SP, Azulay Chertok I, Haile ZT. (2023). Influence of quality of antenatal care on early breastfeeding and exclusive breastfeeding among Haitian women. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing S0884-2175(23)00030-8. 
• Artzi-Medvedik R, Mariani I, Pessa Valente E, Lazzerini M, Azulay Chertok I. (2023). Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding in Israel during the COVID-19 pandemic: A subset of the IMAgiNE EURO cross-sectional study. International Breastfeeding Journal, 18(1), 30. 
• Chertok IA, Graham D, Yellamraju K. (2023). Resilience among healthcare providers in rural Appalachia during COVID-19. West Virginia Medical Journal, 119(1), 18-22. 
• Wessells A, Chertok IRA, Johnson J, Haile ZT. (2023). Development and interrater reliability of the Lactation Assessment Care Tool (LACT). Journal of Human Lactation, 39(1), 30-39. 
• Chertok I, Sacks E, Arendt M, Artzi-Medvedik R, Otelea M, Rodrigues C, et al. & IMAgiNE EURO Study Team. (2022). Factors associated with exclusive breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic in 17 WHO European Region countries. International Breastfeeding Journal, 17(1), 83. 1 
• Artzi-Medvedik R, Muhamed N, Chertok IA. (2022). Perception of secondhand smoke among pregnant women. Maternal Child Nursing 47(6), 353-358. 
• Haile ZT, Chertok IRA, Haider RM. (2022). Association between a history of hookah use and breastfeeding duration. Breastfeeding Medicine. 17(8), 678-686. 
• Schaumleffel C, Vickers C, Chertok IA. (2022). Parents’ attitudes regarding pediatric COVID-19 vaccination in Ohio. Journal of Pediatric Healthcare 36(6), e1-6. 
• Harriot RM, Haile ZT, Azulay Chertok IR, Haider MR. (2022). Association between place of birth and timely breastfeeding initiation among Cambodian women: a population-based study. International Breastfeeding Journal 17, 54. 
• Artzi-Medvedik R, Haile ZT, Chertok IRA. (2022). Association between influenza vaccination during pregnancy and breastfeeding duration. Breastfeeding Medicine, 17, 484-492. 
• Sara BA, Rubin SE, Haile ZT, Alemu DG, Azulay Chertok IR. (2022). Factors associated with attitudes toward female genital mutilation among males in Ethiopia. Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Journal, 32, 100721. 
• Azulay Chertok IR. (2021). Review of National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2020). Feeding Infants and Children from Birth to 24 Months: Summarizing existing evidence. Journal of Human Lactation 37(1), 171-172. (invited commentary) 
• Aros-Vera F, Melnikov S, Chertok IRA. (2021). Emergency and disaster response strategies to support mother-infant dyads during COVID-19. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction. 65, 102532. 
• Jesberger C, Chertok IA, Wessels A, Schaumleffel C. (2021) Maternal self-confidence and breastfeeding after participating in a program about infant prone positioning. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs, 46(4), 205-210. 
• Hopgood D, Haile Z, Conley S, Chertok IR. (2021). Association between acculturation and sociodemographic factors and cardiovascular disease among immigrants to the United States. Public Health Nursing. 38(1), 47-55. 
• Kurniawan D, Haile ZT, Chertok IR. (2021). The relationship between place of birth and early breastfeeding initiation in Indonesia. Journal of Human Lactation. 37(2), 357-369. 
• Azulay Chertok IR, Haile ZT, Shuisong N, Kennedy M. (2020). Differences in human milk lactose and citrate concentrations based on gestational diabetes status. Breastfeeding Medicine, 15(12), 798-802. 
• Haider MR, Kingori C, Brown MJ, Battle-Fisher M, Azulay Chertok I. (2020). Illicit drug use and sexually transmitted infections among young adults in the US: Evidence from a nationally representative survey. Int J STD AIDS, 31(13), 1238-1246. 
• Chertok IRA. (2020). Perceived risk of infection and smoking behavior change during the COVID-19 outbreak in Ohio. Public Health Nursing. 37(6), 854-862.  
• Azulay Chertok IR, Wolf J, Beigelman S, Warner E. (2020). Infant feeding among women with a history of breast cancer. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 14(3), 356-362. 
• Saeed O, Haile Z, Chertok I. (2020). Association between exclusive breastfeeding and infant health outcomes in Pakistan. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 50, e62-e68. 
• Dizengof V, Levi I, Etzion O, Fich A, Blum A, Chertok IRA, Ben-Yakov G, Rouvio O, Greenbaum U. (2020). Incidence rates and clinical characteristics of primary gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a population study. European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 32(5), 569-574. 
• Bar-Zeev Y, Haile ZT, Chertok IA. (2020). Association between prenatal smoking and gestational diabetes mellitus. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 135(1), 91-99. 
• Black KD, Chertok IA, Acker CM. (2019) Development and psychometric testing of the maternal nipple shield satisfaction scale (MNSSS). Journal of Nursing Measurement 27, 524-533. 
• Chertok IR, Silk J, Kulasa K. (2019). Perspectives on barriers and facilitators in caring for women with gestational diabetes in rural Appalachia. MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs, 44, 289-295. 
• Haile Z, Chertok I, Chavan B, Teweldeberhan AK, Stocum R. (2019). Combined influence of gestational diabetes and gestational weight gain on exclusive breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine, 14, 538-550. 
• Haile ZT, Chavan B, Teweldeberhan AK, Chertok IRA, Francescon J. (2019). Gestational weight gain and unplanned or emergency cesarean section in the United States. Women and Birth 32, 263-269. 
• Dugat VM, Haile ZT, Chertok IRA. (2019) Association between stressful life events and exclusive breastfeeding in the United States. Breastfeeding Medicine 14(7), 475-481.