# Interpersonal- and Community-Level Risk Factors for Adolescent Obesity: An Examination of Sexual Identity, School Violence, and School Climate in a Large Sample of Urban Adolescents

> **NIH NIH F31** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2020 · $45,520

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Adolescent obesity, a preventable chronic condition that affects over 1 in 5 adolescents (ages 12-19 years) in
the United States, has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and high cholesterol. The cost
attributed to adolescent obesity is approximately $14 billion annually, and obesity shortens life expectancy by
up to eight years. Sexual minority adolescents (SMA; those who identify as gay/lesbian or bisexual, or who are
unsure of their sexual identity) are significantly more likely to be obese and to have lower rates of physical
activity and higher rates of sedentary behavior compared to their heterosexual peers. School violence (e.g.,
bullying and other violent acts) is associated with obesity, such that obesity risk is increased due to negative
health behavior engagement in response to violent events. Given that SMA experience school violence at
disproportionately high rates compared to their heterosexual peers, it is possible that school violence helps
account for their higher risk of obesity. A protective school climate (i.e., a school with policies and practices
that protect sexual minorities) is an important community-level determinant that has been shown to decrease
sexual-minority-related school violence. Despite these known associations, few investigations have examined
the relationship between school violence and obesity among SMA, and none have examined how school
climate may influence this relationship. The proposed study will address these gaps through secondary
analysis of cross-sectional, district-level pooled data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's
(CDC's) Youth Risk Behavior Surveys (from which we will obtain individual-level health behaviors and
interpersonal-level school violence data) linked with the CDC's School Health Profiles (from which we will
obtain community-level school climate data). Guided by an adapted Social Ecological Model, the specific aims
are: (1) to examine the association between school violence and obesity and whether it differs for SMA and
their heterosexual peers, and (2) to examine the association among sexual identity, school violence, and
obesity and whether it differs across different levels of school climate. The proposed aims are consistent with
the goals of the National Institute of Nursing Research and align with its strategic plan to support science that
investigates key social and environmental factors that promote long-term wellness and prevent the
development of disease across settings and the lifespan, with the goal of eliminating health disparities. To
facilitate such research, the applicant will build her knowledge and skills in sexual minority health, adolescent
chronic disease, and multilevel modeling and moderation analysis. With the mentorship of a dedicated and
National Institutes of Health-funded interdisciplinary research team, and the resource-rich environment of
Columbia University, the applicant will build a strong foundatio...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10064659
- **Project number:** 1F31NR019432-01
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** April Joy Ancheta
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $45,520
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-07-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10064659

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10064659, Interpersonal- and Community-Level Risk Factors for Adolescent Obesity: An Examination of Sexual Identity, School Violence, and School Climate in a Large Sample of Urban Adolescents (1F31NR019432-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10064659. Licensed CC0.

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