# Corazón de la Familia (Heart of the Family)

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY · 2021 · $514,007

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Hispanics have significantly higher rates of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk
burden compared to non-Hispanic whites. Dramatic increases in rates of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular
disease in U.S. Hispanics are anticipated as the population ages and acculturation lends to engagement in
unhealthy behaviors. Culturally appropriate lifestyle modification strategies are needed for effective risk
reduction. Most lifestyle modification strategies have focused on individuals and sustained engagement in
healthy behaviors is seldom achieved. Respectful of the Hispanic cultural value of familismo, prioritizing of the
well-being of the family over that of the individual, we propose to conduct a family dyad-focused intervention
that addresses family members as active participants in a lifestyle intervention for Hispanics with high risk for
T2D or CVD. “Corazón de la Familia” (“Heart of the Family”) is a promotores’- (community health workers’)
facilitated intervention that integrates evidence-based education and health behavior skills development with
social support strategies through the involvement of family members. We will conduct a randomized controlled
trial using a 2-group design and compare the short-term and long-term impact of the family dyad-focused
active intervention to an individual-focused control condition on biological and behavioral T2D and CVD risk
factors. Furthermore, we will determine how each active intervention dyad member’s engagement in healthy
lifestyle behaviors and level of support for their partner’s engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors affects their
own and their partner’s outcomes. Guided by community-based participatory research principles, our
community-academic partnership was formed in response to needs recognized by Hispanic residents of
Kentucky for socioculturally tailored health promotion programs to reduce T2D and CVD risk. Hispanic
community partners have been integrally involved in all phases of sociocultural tailoring and pilot testing the
Corazón de la Familia intervention. The result of the work of our community-academic partnership is a family
dyad-focused intervention that provides a unique approach to sustain engagement in healthy lifestyle
behaviors to reduce T2D and CVD risk among at-risk Hispanics. Further, this community-based intervention
has significant potential for broad implementation to successfully address T2D and CVD health disparities
across U.S. Hispanic communities.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10093135
- **Project number:** 5R01NR016262-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY
- **Principal Investigator:** Gia Mudd
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $514,007
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-03-02 → 2023-12-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10093135

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10093135, Corazón de la Familia (Heart of the Family) (5R01NR016262-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10093135. Licensed CC0.

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