# Developing a Culturally-Relevant Digital Health Intervention to Treat Binge Eating and Obesity

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $179,754

## Abstract

Abstract
Black women have the highest rates of obesity in the United States and are at heightened risk for type 2
diabetes mellitus. While achieving clinically significant weight loss of 8-10% may reduce risk, Black women
have disparate behavioral weight loss treatment outcomes. Untreated binge eating may be a contributing
factor. Indeed, nearly 30% of Black women with obesity report binge eating behaviors; those who binge eat are
likely to regain weight at a faster rate, drop out of behavioral weight loss interventions (SBWL), and have
poorer health outcomes. Black women, however, are far less likely to engage in mental health treatment for
binge eating. Furthermore, treatment for binge eating is often not available in primary care and community-
based settingsplaces where Black women are more likely to receive treatment for their eating and weight-
related concerns. Given the barriers Black women face in accessing in-person treatment for binge eating,
digital treatment platforms may provide the opportunity to construct a culturally-relevant and accessible
treatment option. Current intervention research to treat binge eating among Black women is scarce. To fill this
gap, I desire to become a leading health disparities independent investigator with a research program focused
on the development, implementation, and evaluation of interventions to prevent and treat binge eating and
obesity, but require additional training. The NIH Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development
Award will provide protected time to seek this training and further my skills and ability to implement the
proposed research. My short-term training goals are to develop advanced expertise in: (1) the design and
implementation of clinical trials for obesity; (2) using digital health tools in clinical trials for binge eating and
obesity; (3) implementation science theory and methods; and (4) development and submission of independent,
investigator-initiated research grants. I have developed a strong training plan and mentoring team, led by
Carmen Samuel-Hodge, PhD (co-primary mentor), Cynthia M. Bulik, PhD (co-primary mentor), Dori Steinberg,
PhD (co-mentor), and a team of expert consultants. RESEARCH STRATEGY: The objective of this study is to
modify a validated intervention to develop a digital health tool to treat binge eating and prevent weight gain in
Black women, and examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of this tool in a pragmatic clinical trial. I will
engage Black women who binge eat (BMI > 30 kg/m2) to identify barriers and facilitators to detecting and
treating binge eating, adapt a validated eating behavior and nutrition intervention guided by stakeholder input,
and use Semblie, a UNC-hosted, no-cost online platform that provides tools to build, deliver, and track digital
health interventions to construct the tool. This training and research plan will form the basis for a future
multicenter clinical trial testing the efficacy of the digital health ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10283750
- **Project number:** 1K23DK129832-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Rachel W. Goode
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $179,754
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10283750

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10283750, Developing a Culturally-Relevant Digital Health Intervention to Treat Binge Eating and Obesity (1K23DK129832-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10283750. Licensed CC0.

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