Why type 2 diabetes happens in Navajo children and teens
Understanding the Pathophysiology of Type 2 Diabetes in Navajo Youth
This project looks at how puberty, weight, behavior, and community factors affect blood sugar and insulin in Navajo children and teens to learn who is most likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado Denver NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Aurora, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11286839 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will follow Navajo children and teens over several years through puberty, with regular health visits that include blood tests, growth measures, and questionnaires about diet, activity, and mental health. The team will measure blood sugar control, insulin response, and beta-cell function and track how these change as kids grow. They will compare boys and girls and children from different communities to spot patterns tied to progressing from normal blood sugar to prediabetes or diabetes. The goal is to link medical, behavioral, and social factors to the timeline and mechanisms of youth-onset type 2 diabetes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are Navajo children and teenagers—especially those who are overweight or have a family history of diabetes—who can attend study visits over time.
Not a fit: This project is not designed for adults with long-standing diabetes or for people outside the target community who cannot take part in repeated follow-up visits.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help identify which Navajo children are at highest risk so families and doctors can target prevention earlier and more precisely.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research shows puberty and obesity raise diabetes risk, but few long-term studies have focused on Navajo youth, so this focused, longitudinal approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Aurora, UNITED STATES
- University of Colorado Denver — Aurora, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dabelea, Dana — University of Colorado Denver
- Study coordinator: Dabelea, Dana
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 below.