Community-driven Infant Obesity Prevention: Supporting Healthy Feeding by Addressing Moms’ Mental Health
Official title: Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Phase II Efficacy Testing of a Community-Informed Infant Obesity Prevention Program Addressing the Impact of Maternal Mental Health on Eating and Feeding
Funded at University of Cincinnati · NIH-11400735 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A community-informed program helps low-income families with infants develop healthy eating and feeding habits early, while supporting mothers’ mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Cincinnati NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cincinnati, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $322,917 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK142998-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11400735 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Families with low income and infants aged 3-14 months who are enrolled in an existing home visiting program and are experiencing challenges related to feeding and maternal mental health.
✕Less likely to help
Families without access to home visiting programs or those without maternal mental health concerns may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests a family-centered obesity prevention program for infants aged 3-14 months, delivered alongside an existing home visiting program. It uses behavioral techniques and peer support to empower parents to make healthier feeding choices in the context of maternal mental health challenges. The study will assess whether the program is feasible and acceptable and will gather preliminary signals of how well it works to support healthier weight trajectories. Families, home visitors, and community advisors help tailor the program to real-world needs in low-income communities. The work builds on prior feasibility work and aims to translate these insights into a scalable approach for early obesity prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could experience healthier infant feeding patterns and potentially reduced obesity risk during a critical early window.
How similar studies have gone: Early, related trials suggest that integrated behavioral and peer-support approaches can improve feeding practices, though this exact community-informed model is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Cincinnati
Cincinnati, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stough, Cathleen — University of Cincinnati
- Study coordinator: Stough, Cathleen
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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.