How food security affects heart and metabolic health in Puerto Rico
Official title: Longitudinal Mechanisms of Food and Nutrition Security and Cardiometabolic Health in PROSPECT
Funded at Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health · NIH-11382777 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows adults in Puerto Rico to show how unreliable access to healthy food may raise the chances of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2018 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,732,961 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL143792-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11382777 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (21 years and older) living in Puerto Rico, especially those experiencing food insecurity or at risk for type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who live outside Puerto Rico, are under 21, or cannot participate in follow-up visits and sample collection are unlikely to receive direct benefit from joining.
What this research studies
If you join, you'll be asked about your access to food, what you eat, and how you make food choices over time. You may provide blood samples and other health measurements so researchers can look at hormones, blood fats, and other markers linked to diabetes and heart disease. The team will compare people with persistent versus temporary food insecurity to see different health patterns. Results aim to link everyday food experiences with long-term heart and metabolic health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to specific ways improving food access and diet could lower diabetes and heart disease risk in vulnerable communities.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked food insecurity with higher cardiometabolic risk, but few long-term studies have traced the biological and behavioral pathways this project targets.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mattei, Josiemer — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Mattei, Josiemer
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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.