Reducing excess weight and early diabetes risk in young adults
Official title: Multi-dimensional Approach to Address Excess Weight and Pre-Diabetes Health Disparities in Young Adults
Funded at North Carolina Central University · NIH-11111295 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project offers community-tailored and digital weight-management programs to help college students and other young adults in limited-resource areas lower excess weight and reduce early diabetes risk.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | North Carolina Central University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2017 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $480,100 |
| NIH project number | 5U54MD012392-09 |
| Project ID | NIH-11111295 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are college students and other young adults in limited-resource or underserved communities who have excess weight or are at risk for pre-diabetes.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not in the young-adult age range, those without excess weight or diabetes risk, or those who cannot access campus or local digital programs are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
If you join, the program would deliver tailored behavior-change support on campus and through digital tools that include personalized feedback and self-monitoring. The team will combine community-based strategies with attention to local resources, social influences, and your personal beliefs to make the program fit your life. Researchers will also look at biological measures related to weight and pre-diabetes to see what works best for different people. The goal is to build sustainable, acceptable approaches for young adults in underserved areas.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help young adults lose weight or stop weight gain and lower their chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous digital and behavior-focused weight programs using tailored feedback and self-monitoring have shown modest to moderate benefits compared with education-only approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
North Carolina Central University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harrington, Cherise Baldwin — North Carolina Central University
- Study coordinator: Harrington, Cherise Baldwin
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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.