Promesa: Urban gardens and peer nutrition support for people with HIV in the Dominican Republic
Official title: Promesa: Urban gardening and peer nutritional counseling to improve HIV care outcomes among people with food insecurity in the Dominican Republic
Funded at University of Massachusetts Amherst · NIH-11478533 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers urban gardening and peer-led nutrition support to people living with HIV who face food insecurity in the Dominican Republic to help keep their viral load undetectable and stay on treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Massachusetts Amherst NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hadley, United States) |
| Project start | May 3, 2023 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $193,599 |
| NIH project number | 3R01MH131447-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11478533 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People living with HIV in the Dominican Republic who are experiencing food insecurity and who receive care at participating clinics are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not have food insecurity, who live outside the Dominican Republic, or who cannot take part in gardening or peer counseling sessions are unlikely to benefit from this program.
What this research studies
If I join, clinics across the Dominican Republic will be assigned to offer a program that helps participants grow food in urban gardens and meet regularly with trained peers for nutrition counseling. The program combines hands-on gardening support with peer-led sessions about healthy eating, taking HIV medicines, and using food to support treatment. Researchers will follow participants for 18 months to track viral load, medication adherence, clinic attendance, and food security. The team will also interview participants and clinic staff to learn what makes the program work or what barriers exist to keeping it going.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve food security and increase the number of people with HIV who achieve and maintain undetectable viral loads and stay connected to care.
How similar studies have gone: A prior pilot of ProMeSA found the combined gardening and peer nutrition approach was feasible, acceptable, and showed preliminary promise at 6 and 12 months, but this larger trial will test it more rigorously.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Hadley, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Derose, Kathryn Pitkin — University of Massachusetts Amherst
- Study coordinator: Derose, Kathryn Pitkin
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Promesa: Urban gardens and peer nutrition to help people with HIV in the Dominican Republic
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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.