Using social networks to boost weight loss for Black American women
Official title: Weight management and Black American women: Targeting social networks as a strategy to improve outcomes
Funded at University of Illinois at Chicago · NIH-11252789 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project trains Black American women to share weight-loss support and information with friends and family to help themselves and people in their social circle lose weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $665,368 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA296842-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11252789 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Black American women age 21 and older who are overweight or have obesity and are willing to engage with and share weight-management support with their social networks.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not Black American women, are younger than 21, are not interested in sharing health information with others, or who lack social connections to reach may not benefit from this approach.
What this research studies
If I join, I would receive training and skills to share healthy habits and program messages with people in my social circle. The team will measure participants' weight, body composition, and lifestyle behaviors over time. They will also track whether friends and family of participants show health improvements from those shared messages. The goal is to see if participant-driven sharing creates benefits for both participants and their networks and can be expanded to reach more people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could help participants lose more weight and also create health benefits for their friends and family through shared support.
How similar studies have gone: Small pilot and community-based programs suggest social network and participant-driven approaches can help, but larger controlled trials are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fitzgibbon, Marian L. — University of Illinois at Chicago
- Study coordinator: Fitzgibbon, Marian L.
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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.