How trauma affects heart and metabolic health in the Blackfeet community
Trauma and Cardiometabolic Health in an American Indian Community
This project looks at how childhood and historical trauma relate to heart disease risk and mental health in American Indian adults from the Blackfeet community.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Montana State University - Bozeman NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bozeman, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11128692 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will ask Blackfeet adults about experiences of childhood and historical trauma and about current mental health and alcohol use. They will take blood pressure and other vital signs and collect blood to measure cholesterol, blood sugar, and inflammation. Participants will also do brief stress tasks while the team measures heart rate, blood pressure, and stress hormones to see how the body responds. The work is done in partnership with the Blackfeet community to keep the approach culturally appropriate.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults aged 21 and older who are members of or live in the Blackfeet community and who can provide health information, blood samples, and take part in brief stress-testing visits.
Not a fit: People under 21, those not part of the Blackfeet community, or anyone unable or unwilling to provide blood samples or participate in stress testing would not be eligible and so would not directly benefit.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could help shape culturally informed prevention and care strategies to reduce heart disease and improve mental health in the Blackfeet community.
How similar studies have performed: Research in other populations has linked trauma and altered stress physiology to higher cardiometabolic risk, but this project is among the first to focus specifically on an exclusively American Indian (Blackfeet) community.
Where this research is happening
Bozeman, United States
- Montana State University - Bozeman — Bozeman, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: John-Henderson, Neha — Montana State University - Bozeman
- Study coordinator: John-Henderson, Neha
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.