# Addressing Food Access and Physcial Activity to Improve Diabetes Prevention Outcomes Among Underserved African Americans

> **NIH DK R01** · UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI KANSAS CITY · 2026 · $847,068

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Diabetes is one of the most pressing public health challenges in the U.S., with over 98 million adults – more
than one in three – already living with pre-diabetes mellitus (pre-DM), placing them at heightened risk for type
2 diabetes and its severe complications. African Americans (AA) face a disproportionate burden, with DM rates
nearly twice that of Whites (13% vs. 7.5%), obesity prevalence exceeding 60% and lower rates of
fruit/vegetable intake and physical activity (PA). A critical component of national efforts to curb the diabetes
epidemic is the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), a lifestyle intervention proven to reduce or delay DM
onset by 58 to 71% through structured diet changes, increased exercise, and modest weight loss (5-7%) in a
rigorously evaluated national trial. Despite the proven efficacy of the DPP, AA experience only half the weight
loss of White participants – highlighting a critical gap in effectiveness that must be addressed. Our enhanced
DPP model builds upon our promising pilot studies by integrating culturally tailored healthy food delivery, on-
site physical activity, and linkages to existing food and PA community resources to extend support beyond
class and the duration of this study. These enhancements are designed to overcome social determinants that
impede clinically meaningful weight loss among underserved AA populations. To assess the impact of this
enhanced model, we propose a cluster randomized controlled trial of 408 pre-DM AA participants recruited
from churches in communities with the highest risks of DM. Participants will be assigned to either a standard,
culturally tailored DPP (S-DPP) – which incorporates tailoring of language, culturally relevant foods, religiosity,
and community norms and values – or a culturally tailored, enhanced DPP (E-DPP), which further addresses
systematic barriers to food access, healthy eating, and physical activity over 12 months. We will: 1) examine
the effects of E-DDP o

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11297506
- **Project number:** 1R01DK143249-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI KANSAS CITY
- **Principal Investigator:** JENIFER ELIZABETH ALLSWORTH; Jannette Yvonne Berkley-Patton
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** DK
- **Fiscal year:** 2026
- **Award amount:** $847,068
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2026-03-10T00:00:00 → 2031-02-28T00:00:00

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11297506

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11297506, Addressing Food Access and Physcial Activity to Improve Diabetes Prevention Outcomes Among Underserved African Americans (1R01DK143249-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-20 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11297506. Licensed CC0.

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