How family hardship and stress affect health from early teens into young adulthood
A Longitudinal Study of Adversity, Stress Processes, and Health from Adolescence to Young Adulthood
Following Latin American-origin teens and their mothers over time to learn how family hardship and stress affect teens' behavior, stress hormones, and health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | George Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Washington, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11136862 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be followed from around age 11 into your early twenties with regular visits that include surveys, waist measurements, and hair and saliva samples to measure stress hormones. The project expands an existing cohort to collect 13 total time points through 2026, adding five annual visits during the transition to adulthood. Researchers will relate family stress, parental mental health, and youth behaviors like diet to biological stress markers and self-reported health, using advanced methods to handle missing data and trace how changes unfold over time.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are Latin American-origin adolescents (starting around age 11) and their mothers who live in the suburban Atlanta, GA area and are willing to provide survey information and hair/saliva samples.
Not a fit: People who are not Latino/a, are outside the adolescent-to-young-adult age range, live far from Atlanta, or cannot provide biological samples are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify when and how to support families to reduce stress and lower long-term mental and physical health risks for Latino youth.
How similar studies have performed: Other long-term family cohort studies have linked early adversity to altered stress hormones and later health problems, but this extended follow-up through the transition to adulthood in Latino youth is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Washington, United States
- George Washington University — Washington, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Roche, Kathleen M — George Washington University
- Study coordinator: Roche, Kathleen 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.