# Developing Novel Intervention Approaches to Mitigate Cardiovascular Risk among Young African-American Women

> **NIH NIH K01** · VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $164,132

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 Hypertension contributes to high rates of morbidity and mortality of other chronic conditions, including
cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and end stage renal disease. African Americans (AAs) are more likely
to develop high blood pressure and at a younger age compared to other racial/ethnic groups, and despite higher
treatment rates, are less likely to have blood pressure under control. Racial disparities persist by sex—AA women
have higher incidence of hypertension and earlier onset compared to their white counterparts. Experiences of
stress, including race- and gender-related stress, and stress-related coping are thought to be at the root of these
disparities. African American women demonstrate greater stress as evidenced by higher allostatic load over the
life course relative to male and white counterparts. Higher incidence and earlier onset of hypertension make
younger AA women a prime target for prevention; however, the development of effective prevention-focused
interventions is inhibited by limited understanding of underlying mechanisms in this subgroup. To fill these critical
gaps, this proposal will use a sequential mixed methods approach, including the following: 1) quantifying stress
responses in vivo using a 14-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) protocol with 24-hour physiological
monitoring; and 2) developing and testing the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary efficacy of a stress
management intervention that may mitigate the effects of the chronic stress on blood pressure levels in young
AA women.
 The candidate for this mentored Career Development Award, Dr. Anika L. Hines, is an Assistant Professor
in Health Behavior and Policy at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine. Her long term career
goal is to: 1) become an independent investigator who explicates the complex and cumulative effects of stress
in the lived experiences of racial/ethnic minorities within the context of health disparities; and 2) design and
implement innovative, evidence-based interventions and policies to address these stressors using an
interdisciplinary, socioecological approach. During this award, Dr. Hines will undergo rigorous didactic and
research training, including an didactic courses, experiential lab training, and practical research experience, that
will substantially build her skills in intervention development and the conduct of randomized controlled trials for
behavioral interventions. These career development activities will be conducted within the rich training
environment of Virginia's largest academic medical center with direct guidance from mentors, advisors, and
collaborators with expertise in multi-level and behavioral interventions, evidence-based behavioral medicine
approaches, race-related stress, qualitative methods, physiological pathways linking stress and cardiovascular
risks, advanced statistical analyses, health equity, and grant development. These activities will provide Dr. ...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10434831
- **Project number:** 5K01HL152011-02
- **Recipient organization:** VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Anika Latrice Hines
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $164,132
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-07-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10434831

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10434831, Developing Novel Intervention Approaches to Mitigate Cardiovascular Risk among Young African-American Women (5K01HL152011-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10434831. Licensed CC0.

---

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