Helping communities use proven obesity-prevention ideas for kids
Official title: Feasibility of Network Interventions to Facilitate Community Coalition Adoption of Evidence-Based Strategies for Child Obesity Prevention
Funded at University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh · NIH-11598101 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study will test network-based approaches to help coalitions that serve underserved communities adopt proven obesity-prevention strategies for children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,858 |
| NIH project number | 4R00HD109456-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11598101 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children in communities with socioeconomic disadvantage and the coalitions serving them.
✕Less likely to help
Communities without targeted coalitions or in populations without higher poverty may see little direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on empowering local coalitions—made up of schools, public health groups, and community organizations—to adopt evidence-based strategies that prevent obesity in children. Using network interventions and computer simulations, researchers will explore how coalition leaders and partners can better share information and coordinate actions to spread effective practices. The goal is to accelerate the use of proven interventions in communities facing higher poverty, with the aim of improving children’s long-term heart and health outcomes. The work will involve developing and testing new ways to modify coalition partnerships and measure how adoption of strategies changes over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, communities could more quickly implement proven obesity-prevention strategies for children, reducing future heart disease and cancer risk.
How similar studies have gone: Similar network and systems-science approaches have shown promise in promoting health-promoting practices in coalitions, though adoption remains a challenge in low-resource settings.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Moore, Travis Robert — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Moore, Travis Robert
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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.