Why some kids get type 2 diabetes during puberty

Identifying Metabolic and Psychosocial Antecedents and Characteristics of youth-onset Type 2 diabetes (IMPACT DM)

NIH-funded research University of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr · NIH-11285464

This project looks at how metabolism, mood, behavior, and social factors during puberty relate to type 2 diabetes risk in children and teens.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Oklahoma Hlth Sciences Ctr NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Oklahoma City, United States)
Project IDNIH-11285464 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you join, researchers will follow children through puberty with blood tests for glucose and insulin, body measurements and fat distribution scans, and questionnaires about mental health and social context. They will compare kids who keep normal blood sugar to those who develop prediabetes or youth-onset type 2 diabetes to map when and how changes happen. The team will look for differences by sex, race/ethnicity, and urban versus rural settings. The study aims to find modifiable and non-modifiable factors that explain why some youth progress to diabetes while others do not.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates are children and adolescents (roughly ages 9–18) who are overweight or obese, show signs of insulin resistance or prediabetes, or are otherwise at higher risk for youth-onset type 2 diabetes.

Not a fit: Children without obesity or diabetes risk factors and adults with long-standing type 2 diabetes are unlikely to get direct benefit from this specific study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could help clinicians identify at-risk youth earlier and guide prevention or treatment strategies tailored to puberty-related causes.

How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have linked puberty and obesity to higher diabetes risk, but few have combined detailed metabolic testing with psychosocial measures across puberty, so this work builds on prior findings with a more comprehensive approach.

Where this research is happening

Oklahoma City, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.