# Using TDM to understand mechanisms in adolescent health and risk behavior

> **NIH NIH P01** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2022 · $367,469

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY – PROJECT 1
Adolescence is a critical time period for the development of health behaviors such as physical activity and risk
behaviors such as alcohol use. One way adolescents learn about and model their behaviors is via technology
and digital media (TDM), particularly social media. Adolescent behavior can be influenced by content that
adolescents display (self-generated) on social media, as well as content they consume (other-generated). The
long-term goal of this research is to understand mechanisms by which social media influence health and risk
behavior towards the development of interventions to promote healthy behavior and reduce risk behavior. The
objective of this Project 1 is to understand patterns and content of displayed health and risk behavior on social
media that is created by, and consumed by, adolescents. We will determine connections between three key
concepts through our Specific Aims, including: 1) what adolescents display on TDM about their own health and
risk behaviors via self-generated content, 2) the displayed TDM content adolescents are exposed to in real-time
about health and risk behaviors, and 3) adolescents’ self-reported health and risk behavior attitudes, social
norms intentions and actions. Our third aim will assess neural processes underlying how created and consumed
TDM content is processed and associated with health and risk behavior. The PI, Co-I and consultant on this
Project bring over a decade of work in the area of adolescent behaviors displayed on social media, including
several NIH-funded studies in this area. Our preliminary data indicates that for older adolescents, self-generated
risk behavior content on TDM closely aligns with self-reported behavior, and that Ecological Momentary
Assessment (EMA) is feasible to use with adolescent populations to assess real-time TDM use and content
exposure. This study will use a longitudinal study design, collecting data over 2 years. The shared participant
pool for this P01 program will be leveraged to recruit the sample of 400 adolescents aged 13-15 years at
enrollment. Data collection approaches will include social media observation of health and risk behaviors,
including self-generated and other-generated. This social media observational data will be linked to self-report
survey data including attitudes, social norms, intentions and behaviors. Moderators will include technology
importance and parent involvement. Data collection will also include Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)
to determine adolescents’ exposure to self-generated and other-generated content across TDM in real-time.
Finally, investigators will utilize social media data during a fMRI scan to determine whether self-generated and
other-generated content is processed differently. This project aligns with the current RFA as utilizes multi-level
assessments of health and development, including real-time measures of TDM exposure.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10532013
- **Project number:** 1P01HD109850-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** Megan A. M0reno
- **Activity code:** P01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $367,469
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-12 → 2027-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10532013

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10532013, Using TDM to understand mechanisms in adolescent health and risk behavior (1P01HD109850-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10532013. Licensed CC0.

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