# Delineation of the biopsychosocial risks of obesogenic eating behaviors

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER · 2020 · $154,269

## Abstract

This K23 proposal prepares the applicant Ying Meng, PhD, RN, for a clinical and translational nursing research
career centered on preventing and reducing childhood obesity and its adverse effects on health. As such, I
commit to a career of clinical and translational nursing research that combines an understanding of behavioral,
psychosocial, and genetic/biological knowledge to develop observational and interventional research to
advance the emerging field of precision health in obesity management. My focus in this K23 application on
childhood obesogenic eating behaviors (OEBs) reflects the supporting science and addresses an important
gap in my developing expertise. An understanding of OEBs requires knowledge in behavioral, psychosocial,
and genetic methods and findings pertaining to obesity. I am extremely well-positioned to contribute to this
area of study because I have a strong research foundation in human genetics and molecular biology with
enriched training in biostatistics and extensive clinical experience in nursing practice. These skills will be
further enhanced by this K23 award under the guidance of my strong mentorship team with expertise in child
development, stress exposure, pediatric obesity, genetics, nursing, nutrition, and biostatistics. The specific
research aims are to (1) characterize OEBs in young children using observational, parent-report, and child-
report methods; (2) identify concurrent psychosocial and physiological stress markers for OEBs in young
children; (3) examine associations between previously identified obesity-risk genes and OEBs in young
children. We will assess obesogenic eating behaviors in 3-year-old children from families who have been
participating in an ongoing longitudinal study of perinatal influences on child health and development. This
NIH-funded “parent” study will offer direct, substantial and long-term support and provide a well-organized
infrastructure for my proposal, which makes this K23 application very time- and cost-efficient. This award will
enable me to attain essential expertise in behavioral, psychosocial, and biological assessments related to
OEBs in young children, research methodology in pediatric clinic samples, and behavioral and intervention-
relevant research on childhood obesity. My training goals for this K23 award are to (1) gain experience and
didactic learning in study design and execution of human subject research; (2) broaden my knowledge and
experience of OEBs and nutrition assessments for the current project and interventions for childhood obesity
for future projects; (3) gain experience in early-life stress measurements and stress management strategies in
young children; (4) expand my knowledge and analytical skills in advanced human genomics; (5) professional
development; and (6) grantsmanship in preparation for subsequent R grant. By the end of the award period, I
will be prepared to launch an independent patient-oriented research career to conduct observational and...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10025182
- **Project number:** 5K23NR019014-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Ying Meng
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $154,269
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-09-25 → 2022-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10025182

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10025182, Delineation of the biopsychosocial risks of obesogenic eating behaviors (5K23NR019014-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10025182. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*