Mobile phone program to help Air Force members prevent unhealthy weight gain
Official title: Preventing weight gain in U.S. Air Force personnel using a novel mobile health intervention
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11121821 · Data updated 2026-11-12
It uses a phone-based program to help U.S. Air Force members keep their weight stable and protect fitness for duty.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | June 10, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $577,948 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL161836-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11121821 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Active-duty U.S. Air Force members, especially young adults at risk of gaining weight or needing to maintain fitness for deployment, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not active-duty military, veterans no longer in service, or those already enrolled in intensive medical weight-loss programs or with conditions requiring specialized care may not be eligible or likely to benefit.
What this research studies
You'll be invited to use an adapted SNAP-M mobile program developed with Air Force partners to prevent weight gain. The program is delivered through your cell phone and may include regular messages, self-monitoring tools, and wearable activity trackers like accelerometers to monitor movement and weight. The research team will work with Air Force clinics and bases to enroll young adult service members and collect ongoing weight and activity data. The aim is to help you maintain a healthy weight so you can stay fit for duty and reduce long-term heart disease risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could help Air Force personnel avoid unwanted weight gain, support readiness, and lower future cardiovascular risk.
How similar studies have gone: Previous weight-gain prevention trials in young adults and military groups have shown mixed results, though mobile SNAP-style approaches have shown promise in some settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tate, Deborah F. — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Tate, Deborah F.
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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.