Community and Peer Support for Reducing Cardiovascular Risk
Official title: Implementation and Process in Community and Peer Cardiovascular Risk Reduction
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11445431 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Aims to understand how community and peer programs can help people lower cardiovascular risk, by analyzing existing programs and how their implementation and social support influence outcomes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $222,309 |
| NIH project number | 1R21HL188519-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11445431 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals at risk for cardiovascular disease who participate in or have access to community or peer support programs.
✕Less likely to help
People not engaged with or lacking access to community/peer support interventions may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses secondary data from several large community programs to see how standardizing implementation functions and strong social support affect cardiovascular risk factors. Researchers will analyze past diabetes management and peer-support initiatives to understand their impact on CVD risk, using statistical modeling to link interventions, implementation processes, and social support. The goal is to uncover practical ways communities and peers can consistently reduce cardiovascular risk in real-world settings. The work is rooted in human health contexts and aims to inform future programs that could benefit patients with cardiovascular risk factors.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide real-world programs to more effectively reduce cardiovascular risk through community and peer support.
How similar studies have gone: Previous large programs have shown mixed but informative results; this study analyzes multiple initiatives to better understand what works.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kowitt, Sarah — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Kowitt, Sarah
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.