# The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Environment on Cardiometabolic Health

> **NIH NIH R01** · EMORY UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $290,492

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
RELEVANCE: The COVID-19 pandemic upended life in the United States through social distancing policies,
such as remote work mandates, to halt the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Weight gain and changes
in physical activity, dietary intake, and other health behaviors related to cardio-metabolic conditions were
reported during and immediately following the acute lockdown period. Two years after the acute lockdown
period, nearly one-third of Americans continue to work remotely and understanding whether these early cardio-
metabolic health changes persisted will have important implications for cardio-metabolic health in the decades
to come. OBJECTIVES: To quantify the magnitude, modifying characteristics, and mechanisms associated
with cardio-metabolic health changes in US adults >1 year after the post-acute lockdown period. DESIGN: We
build on a high-quality community-based cohort study of ~140,000 adults, the American Cancer Society
Cancer Prevention Study 3 (CPS-3). CPS-3 participants provided detailed health behavior, weight status,
medical history, and socioeconomic data at triennial surveys since enrollment (2013). The 2021-22 survey
supplements standard modules with information specifically designed to measure individual experiences of the
pandemic environment such as changes to work and caregiving responsibilities. We will use geocodes to link
individual data with measures of the severity of the local pandemic environment, measured by local policy
restrictions, mobility reductions, and epidemiologic risks. We will examine the overall impact of the pandemic
environment on weight status and cardio-metabolic health behaviors (dietary intake, physical activity,
sedentary time, sleep patterns, tobacco use, and alcohol use). In AIM 1A, we will evaluate the impact of the
pandemic environment on changes in weight status and cardio-metabolic health behaviors. In Aim 1B, we will
identify population characteristics that modify the pandemic’s impact on changes in cardio-metabolic health. In
AIM 2, we will evaluate potential mechanisms linking the pandemic environment and weight status, with
special emphasis on remote work policies. IMPACT: This national investigation with prospectively collected ata
before and during the pandemic will provide insight into the cardio-metabolic health sequelae of the COVID-19
pandemic. As we move into the post-pandemic recovery phase, findings may inform policy decisions regarding
continuation of remote work, as well as future priority areas and priority populations for cardio-metabolic health
promotion.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10872303
- **Project number:** 5R01HL165940-02
- **Recipient organization:** EMORY UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Shivani A Patel
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $290,492
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2026-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10872303

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10872303, The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Environment on Cardiometabolic Health (5R01HL165940-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10872303. Licensed CC0.

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