Dr Rockson Ansong

Dr. Rockson Ansong is an Assistant Professor of Public Health and Wellness at Louisiana State University. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Boston with his PhD focusing on Population Health and Health Policy. Dr. Ansong is committed to improving health outcomes and promoting health equity for individuals in marginalized and underserved communities. His research and advocacy focus on addressing racial disparities in health and wellness, preventing complications from chronic diseases, and strengthening self-management support, particularly in the context of cardiovascular disease.

As a nurse scientist, Dr. Ansong has led and contributed to research projects on a range of issues, including the impact of post-acute myocardial infarction thyroid function on cardiac systolic function and all-cause mortality, factors influencing depression among individuals with cardiovascular conditions, the effects of medication costs on adherence, opioid overdose prevention, and the burdens and needs of family caregivers. His work spans global contexts, with studies conducted in Ghana, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Dr. Ansong has actively contributed to the nursing and public health fields through numerous publications and conference presentations. He serves as a peer reviewer for academic journals and is an active member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing and the Eastern Nursing Research Society. He has received several prestigious awards and grants, including the Bollinger Grant and the Global Nursing Research Practice Grant.

Through his research, teaching, and policy engagement, Dr. Ansong aims to close the gap between evidence and practice. He is especially passionate about building interdisciplinary partnerships to tackle pressing public health issues and to strengthen systems of care for people living with chronic conditions.

Research Interests

Chronic disease prevention and management; intersections of race, religion, culture, and health; health equity and social justice; health outcomes and quality of life; health policy; maternal health; racial disparities in health; substance/opioid misuse

Education

Ph.D. Nursing (University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, USA, 2022 - 2025)

MSc. Medical Sciences (University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, UK, 2019 - 2020)

Post Graduate Diploma in Education (University of Education, Winneba, Kumasi, Ghana, 2013 - 2014)

BSc. Nursing (Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 2005 - 2009)

Memberships

Massachusetts Gerontology Association

Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation – Global Burden of Disease Collaborator

Preventive Cardiovascular Nurses Association (PCNA)

Eastern Nursing Research Society (ENRS)

Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Chapter

Ghana Registered Nurses Association

Grants

Bollinger Doctoral Grant

Global Nursing Research Practice Grant

Courses

AAAS 2000 - Introduction to African and African American Studies

AAAS 3902 - Black Health

Funded Research

Ansong R., (PI), Zhang, L. (Co-I) (In Progress). Post-discharge self-management support of stroke survivors and family caregivers in Ghana: A Comprehensive Assessment. Sigma Theta Tau International, Alpha Theta Society, Global Practice Research Grant $2000 (Extramural 04/1/2024 – 04/31/2025).

Boakye, M. D. S. (PI), Ansong R., (Co-I), Kyei G. K, (Co-I), (In Progress). A pilot study to develop and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and usability of an AI-Driven Emotional Support for Type 2 Diabetes. Proposal Development Grant. $20,000 (08/01/2024 – 08/31/2025)

Refereed Publications

Kyei, G. K., Kyei, E. F., Oppong, A. F., & Ansong, R. (2025). Sociodemographic Predictors of Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Uptake Among Young Adults in the United States: A Cross-sectional Analysis and Implications for Cancer Prevention in Nursing Practice. Cancer nursing, 10.1097/NCC.0000000000001538. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCC.0000000000001538

GBD 2021 Stroke Risk Factor Collaborators (2024). Global, regional, and national burden of stroke and its risk factors, 1990-2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet. Neurology, 23(10), 973–1003. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(24)00369-7

Ansong, R. & Gazarian, P. (2024). Healthcare self-management support of stroke patients after discharge: A conceptual analysis using Rodger's evolutionary approach. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 00, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16078

Abubakari, A. K., Gross, J., Boateng, S. K., & Ansong, R. (2024). Cultural competency of Nurses in a Multi-Cultural Healthcare System in Two Regions of Ghana. International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijans.2024.100728

Kyei, E. F., Kyei, G. K., Ansong, R., Boakye, C. K., & Asamoah, E. (2024). Xylazine in the Unregulated Drug Market: An Integrative Review of Its Prevalence, Health Impacts, and Detection and Intervention Challenges in the United States. Policy, politics & nursing practice, 15271544241268386. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/15271544241268386

Kyei, E. F., Ansong, R., & Kyei, G. K. (2024). Integrating Nursing Practice and Policy in Opioid Overdose Prevention: Analysis of the Opioid-Overdose Reduction Continuum of Care Approach Practice Guide. Journal of advanced nursing, 10.1111/jan.16451. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16451

G.K. Kyei, E.F. Kyei & R. Ansong (2024). The Eﬃcacy and Patient Experience of Virtual Reality in Labor: An Integrative Review of Pain and Anxiety Management, Pain Management Nursing, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2024.08.007

Kyei, E., Zhang, L., Ansong, R., & Kyei, G. (2024). Empowering communities and enhancing public safety: Stakeholders’ perspectives on opioid overdose prevention strategies in Boston. Community Mental Health Journal, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-024-01420-1

Kyei, G., Kyei E., & Ansong, R. (2024). HPV vaccine hesitancy and uptake: A conceptual analysis using Rodgers' evolutionary approach. Journal of Advanced Nursing, https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.16653

Kyei G. K., Kyei, E. F., Ansong, R., & Odei‑Opoku, H. D. (2024). Exploring Black Birthing Experiences: A Systematic Review and Social‑Ecological Analysis of Disparities in the United States. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-024-02254-z