How childhood stress raises the risk of obesity and heart disease in kids
Examining How Psychosocial Stress Gets "Under the Skin" and Leads to Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Diverse Children: A Mixed-Methods Study
This project looks at how different kinds of stress in childhood can change kids' biology and raise their chances of obesity and heart disease later in life, focusing on diverse children and families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11248820 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a parent's point of view, the team follows children over time to track stressful experiences at many levels (individual, family, and social) and when they happen. They combine interviews and surveys with biological measures such as stress-hormone activity (HPA axis markers) and physical measures like body weight and activity monitoring. The study uses mixed methods, meaning both in-depth qualitative interviews and repeated quantitative measures, to map pathways from stress to early signs of cardiovascular risk. Researchers also look for modifiable factors at the child, parent, and family level that could be changed to interrupt those stress pathways.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children and adolescents (and their parents or caregivers) from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds, especially those who have experienced psychosocial stress, are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Adults with already established cardiovascular disease or people outside the child/adolescent age range would not directly benefit from participating in this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could identify changes families or clinicians can make to reduce how stress harms children's biology and lower future obesity and heart disease risk.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked childhood stress, cortisol changes, and later weight/CVD risk, but this longitudinal mixed-methods approach in diverse children is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Berge, Jerica M — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Berge, Jerica M
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 below.