Using AI to enhance support for obese African American youth and their families
Official title: Establishing an Artificially Intelligent Framework for Improving Therapeutic Alliance with Obese African American Youth and Caregivers through Multimodal Monitoring of Empathetic Accuracy and Interper
Funded at Medical University of South Carolina · NIH-10876978 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking to make a family-based program better for African American teens struggling with obesity by using smart technology to help community health workers connect more emotionally with families during therapy sessions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical University of South Carolina NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Charleston, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $489,391 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018216-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-10876978 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are African American adolescents struggling with obesity and their caregivers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not identify as African American or do not have obesity may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research aims to improve a family-based behavioral intervention for obese African American adolescents by utilizing an artificial intelligence framework. The study focuses on enhancing the therapeutic alliance between community health workers and families through the monitoring of empathetic interactions during therapy sessions. By employing machine learning models, the research seeks to analyze and improve the emotional connection and agreement on treatment goals between therapists and patients. This approach is designed to create a more effective support system for families dealing with obesity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to more effective interventions for obesity in African American youth, improving their health outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using technology and behavioral interventions to improve health outcomes, suggesting that this approach could be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cunningham, Phillippe Belton — Medical University of South Carolina
- Study coordinator: Cunningham, Phillippe Belton
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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.