How not having reliable food affects young adults' heart and metabolic health
Food Security and Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health
This research looks at how not having enough reliable food affects heart and metabolic health in college students and young adults.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11125900 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are following college students and emerging adults to track how often and for how long they experience food insecurity. They will collect information on eating, activity, sleep, nicotine exposure, body weight, blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol using surveys, physical measurements, and lab tests guided by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8. The team will focus on students from low-income, first-generation, Black, and Latino backgrounds and measure whether food insecurity is a short-term or chronic problem. Their goal is to understand links between food access and early signs of heart and metabolic risk so schools and health programs can better help students.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are college students and young adults—especially those who are food insecure, from low-income or first-generation families, or who identify as Black or Latino.
Not a fit: People who have steady access to food, are outside the college/young-adult age range, or whose health concerns are unrelated to food access may not get direct benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify students at risk and guide programs or policies to improve food access and reduce early heart and metabolic problems.
How similar studies have performed: Some past studies have linked food insecurity to health risks, but few have tracked college students longitudinally using the AHA Life’s Essential 8, so this approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Martinez, Suzanna M — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Martinez, Suzanna 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.