# Early-life Exposure to Secondhand Smoke and Childhood Obesity

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · 2020 · $245,607

## Abstract

Secondhand smoke is a common early-life exposure that may contribute to future risk for obesity.
Epidemiologic studies have consistently reported positive associations between prenatal or postnatal exposure
to secondhand smoke with childhood obesity. However, very few studies have attempted to disentangle the
effects of prenatal and postnatal exposures or have incorporated a tobacco-specific biomarker of exposure.
Furthermore, the mechanisms underlying the secondhand smoke-obesity associations are unknown. The goal
of this project is to explore the timing and mechanisms of the previously observed associations between
exposure to secondhand smoke and obesity, incorporating 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol
(NNAL), a novel and potentially more accurate indicator of exposure. Understanding when and how exposure
to secondhand smoke impacts obesity risk may inform new public health strategies with potential relevance for
both smoking cessation and obesity prevention.
 During the training phase of this award, Dr. Moore will use didactic instruction, individually mentored
training, and independent study to develop expertise in three content areas: 1) secondhand smoke exposure
assessment; 2) nutritional epidemiology; and 3) advanced statistical methods. This training will be applied to a
research project that will leverage the resources and infrastructure of an ongoing, longitudinal cohort of 1,410
mother-child pairs (Healthy Start, R01DK076648, PI: Dabelea), which was recently included in the
Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium (1UG3OD023248-01; PI: Dabelea).
She will examine the association of prenatal and postnatal exposures to secondhand smoke with repeated
measures of adiposity from birth to 5 years (Aim 1). During the independent phase of this award, Dr. Moore will
validate the data yielded from Aim 1 by using NNAL to characterize exposure to secondhand smoke. She will
then explore the extent to which the secondhand smoke-obesity associations are mediated by oxidative stress
and inflammation or modified by early-life nutrition and socioeconomic status (Aim 3).
 Dr. Moore is well-equipped to perform this research based on: 1) her research background and
interests investigating the impact of exposures to environmental chemicals on childhood obesity; 2) her access
to the unique, well-characterized Healthy Start cohort, which will allow for an in-depth exploration of the timing
and mechanisms of the secondhand smoke-obesity associations; and 3) her access to the extensive resources
provided by her mentorship team and institution. The proposed research and training plan will prepare her for
an independent career examining the impact of environmental exposures on childhood metabolic disorders.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10074883
- **Project number:** 4R00ES028711-03
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON
- **Principal Investigator:** Brianna F Moore
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $245,607
- **Award type:** 4N
- **Project period:** 2020-03-01 → 2023-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10074883

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10074883, Early-life Exposure to Secondhand Smoke and Childhood Obesity (4R00ES028711-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-21 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10074883. Licensed CC0.

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