Why some teens develop type 2 diabetes

Identify risk factors for type 2 diabetes in adolescents

['FUNDING_U01'] · RESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP · NIH-11286825

This project looks at how puberty, obesity, and social or behavioral factors may cause some adolescents to develop type 2 diabetes.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_U01']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorRESEARCH INST NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSP (nih funded)
Locations1 site (COLUMBUS, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-11286825 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

You would be followed over several years through puberty while the team measures blood sugar, insulin levels, and other markers of beta-cell function. The study collects medical measurements, questionnaires about behavior and mental health, and information about family and community context, and may ask for blood or other samples. Researchers will compare teens who remain healthy to those who move from normal glucose to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes to map the timing and causes of change. The study also looks for differences by sex and between urban and Appalachian or rural communities.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents entering or in puberty who are overweight or have other risk factors for type 2 diabetes (family history, prediabetes), including youth from higher-risk areas such as Appalachia.

Not a fit: Very young children, adults, people without risk factors for type 2 diabetes, or those with type 1 diabetes are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this study.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early warning signs and modifiable risks so clinicians can help prevent or delay type 2 diabetes in teens.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research shows puberty and obesity raise diabetes risk, but long-term work that maps the precise timeline and social/behavioral contributors to youth-onset type 2 diabetes is limited, making this approach relatively novel.

Where this research is happening

COLUMBUS, 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.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Conditions: Adult-Onset Diabetes Mellitus

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 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.