# Informing national guidelines on adolescent and young adult physical activity and sedentary behavior to prevent cardiovascular disease

> **NIH NIH K08** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2024 · $173,910

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and physical activity is a potent
way to decrease this risk. Serious gaps remain in our understanding of the optimal duration of physical activity
and sedentary behavior during adolescence and young adulthood if risk for concurrent and future CVD is to be
averted, and were specifically identified as priority research areas in the 2018 Department of Health and Human
Services (HHS) Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Adolescence and young adulthood are critical
transition periods that set physical activity patterns for the rest of adulthood and may represent a critical window
for early intervention. The overall objective of this K08 is to develop evidence to bridge the HHS-articulated gaps
by describing independent effects of sedentary behavior in adolescence and thresholds of physical activity in
young adulthood on the prevention of later-life CVD to inform future HHS guidelines. The central hypothesis is
that highly sedentary adolescents and young adults will require higher physical activity levels to reduce CVD risk
in later adulthood. This project will analyze longitudinal cohort data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive
Development (ABCD) Study, the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health), and
the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. The Specific Aims will: (1) determine
independent associations of contemporary forms of sedentary behavior (screen time) in adolescents with CVD
risk factor incidence; (2) evaluate associations of attaining HHS-recommended adolescent (60 mins/day, 7
days/week) versus adult (30 mins/day, 5 days/week) physical activity levels during specific age ranges in young
adulthood with incidence of CVD risk factors; and (3) estimate population-level lifetime effects of adolescent and
young adult sedentary behaviors, physical activity dose, and their interactions on later-life CVD mortality. The
candidate’s long-term career objective is to become an independent physician-epidemiologist generating
actionable evidence to optimize adolescent and young adult behaviors to prevent CVD later in life. The proposed
career development plan will provide training and mentorship in: (1) physical activity, sedentary behavior, and
CVD epidemiology and measurement; (2) longitudinal analyses and modeling methods; (3) guideline
development and implementation; and (4) career development and plan for independence. Training will be
achieved through coursework, seminars, tutorials, conferences, hands-on experience, and active mentoring. The
mentoring team includes nationally recognized experts in cardiovascular epidemiology, adolescent and young
adult medicine, physical activity/sedentary behavior, biostatistics, guideline development, and implementation
science. Completion of this K08 will inform specific guidance for adolescents and young adults in the next edition
of the Phys...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10909205
- **Project number:** 5K08HL159350-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Jason M Nagata
- **Activity code:** K08 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $173,910
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2026-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10909205

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10909205, Informing national guidelines on adolescent and young adult physical activity and sedentary behavior to prevent cardiovascular disease (5K08HL159350-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10909205. Licensed CC0.

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