# Breastfeeding intervention to prevent obesity among Latine children

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO · 2024 · $264,361

## Abstract

Project Summary
Due to high rates of obesity, Latine children are more likely to have type 2 diabetes (T2D) than other
racial/ethnic groups. If current trends continue, it is estimated that 50% of Latine children and adolescents will
develop T2D in their lifetime. This is critical since the impact of early onset of T2D is extensive involving
premature morbidity, high healthcare costs and significant loss of productivity. Hence, interventions that
effectively reduce obesity risk and T2D among fastest growing group of Latine children are urgently needed.
Excess weight gain during infancy is associated with childhood obesity. Exclusive breastfeeding (directly or
expressed) for the first six months is associated with lower risk for excess weight gain and insulin insensitivity
during infancy. In our longitudinal sub-study with low-income, Latine mother-infant dyads, mixed feeding
(combination of breastfeeding and formula feeding) was more common than exclusive breastfeeding. It was
also found that obesity risk among infants increased with an increase in formula feeding.
Utilizing Social Cognitive Theory, our goal is to measure the effectiveness of a multi-component randomized
control trial - Solo Mi Leche (SMile) – involving:
 I) Provision of conditional incentives of cash or combination of cash and electric breast pump to enroll
 in WIC’s Exclusive Breastfeeding Package; and,
 II) Support of home visiting, culturally and linguistically competent breastfeeding peer-counselors to
 increase breastfeeding support, knowledge, skills and ultimately self-efficacy.
The intervention spanning from birth to six months postpartum will involve 120 Latine mothers eligible or
enrolled in WIC program (60 each in intervention & control). Specific aims are to test the effectiveness of SMile
intervention in: 1) improving self-efficacy and exclusivity of breastfeeding for the first six months, and; 2)
reducing rapid weight gain and obesity risk among Latine infants. We will also carry out a process evaluation to
understand strengths of the intervention and opportunities to improve its implementation, feasibility, fidelity,
and impact.
The proposed pilot trial (Small R01s, PAS-23-086) will allow us to acquire preliminary data through six months
of age to develop an effective, fully powered, culturally appropriate intervention promoting breastfeeding
throughout infancy, to address obesity, T2D and related disparities Latine population is facing.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10944397
- **Project number:** 1R01DK140892-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA GREENSBORO
- **Principal Investigator:** Jasmine DeJesus
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $264,361
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-07-01 → 2027-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10944397

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10944397, Breastfeeding intervention to prevent obesity among Latine children (1R01DK140892-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10944397. Licensed CC0.

---

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