How activity trackers and diet reports relate to diabetes and lifespan in older Black and White adults

Novel Bayesian assessments of device-based physical activity and self-reported dietary intake in joint models of all-cause mortality and type 2 diabetes in a cohort of biracial older US adults

NIH-funded research Trustees of Indiana University · NIH-11325890

Using wearable activity data and diet reports to clarify links to type 2 diabetes and overall survival in older Black and White adults.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionTrustees of Indiana University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Bloomington, United States)
Project IDNIH-11325890 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you joined, researchers would analyze wearable activity and self-reported diet records from older Black and White adults. They'll build new statistical tools that correct for errors in devices and self-reports using Bayesian and frequentist models, then link activity and diet patterns to type 2 diabetes and overall survival. The team combines continuous wearable data and periodic diet questionnaires to account for day-to-day variation and measurement mistakes. Their goal is to make findings more reliable so future advice about activity and eating for older adults is based on cleaner evidence.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Older Black and White adults (from the participating U.S. cohort), including those with or without type 2 diabetes, who can wear an activity tracker and report their diet.

Not a fit: People with urgent medical needs or conditions unrelated to activity or diet should not expect direct short-term benefits from this methods-focused work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: Could produce clearer, more reliable evidence about how activity and diet affect diabetes risk and survival, improving future guidance for older adults.

How similar studies have performed: Wearable and diet data have been used before to link behavior with diabetes risk, but the statistical methods to correct complex measurement errors in high-dimensional longitudinal data are largely novel.

Where this research is happening

Bloomington, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.