Lowering heart disease risk for adults facing food insecurity with structured incentives
Official title: Cardiovascular Risk Reduction for Adults with Food Insecurity Using Structured Incentives (CVD-FIT)
Funded at State University of New York at Buffalo · NIH-11375150 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers structured incentives and support to help adults who lack steady access to food lower their heart disease risk factors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Buffalo NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Amherst, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $653,051 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018721-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11375150 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults aged 21 or older who experience food insecurity and have elevated cardiovascular risk (for example high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes), particularly African American adults, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without food insecurity, those under age 21, or individuals with low cardiovascular risk are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.
What this research studies
You would be offered regular economic incentives and behavior-change supports designed to improve diet and help manage blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes risk. The program combines financial or grocery incentives with behavioral-economics strategies (like reminders or goal-based rewards) and links to food resources to address poverty-related food insecurity. The team at SUNY Buffalo built this approach from a pilot that showed it was doable and acceptable, and now plans a larger multi-year effort to track changes in health and risk factors. Participation would likely include regular health checks, visits, and monitoring of food access and heart-health measures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve access to healthy food and reduce heart disease risk factors for food-insecure adults.
How similar studies have gone: Early pilot work from the same team showed feasibility and preliminary improvements, but larger trials are needed to confirm effectiveness.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Buffalo
Amherst, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Walker, Rebekah J — State University of New York at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Walker, Rebekah J
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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.