Center for Transformative Community-Driven Research to Prevent Obesity-related Cancer

NIH RePORTER · CA · U54 · $1,947,476 · view on reporter.nih.gov ↗

Abstract

The Center for Transformative Community-Driven Research to Prevent Obesity-related Cancer (the Center) seeks to reduce cancer risk and ultimately improve cancer outcomes for communities. We plan to bridge the gap between research and real-world practice through community-engaged approaches to address obesity—the second leading preventable cause of cancer. The Center will focus its activity on Acres Homes, a community in Houston, Texas that has high prevalence of cancer risk factors. The Center will test interventions in the context of MD Anderson’s current place-based cancer prevention initiative (Be Well Communities™), around two scientific themes: 1) understanding social and environmental context in which risk factors arise (e.g., food insecurity, limited recreational infrastructure, few health promotion services) and 2) promoting health behavior changes of diet and physical activity as major contributing causes of obesity. The two research projects span the cancer control continuum from primary prevention to survivorship: Project 1 will test the effect of a multi-level nutrition intervention on BMI and metabolic health in Acres Homes elementary school students and their parents, and Project 2 will adapt and test the effect of a physical activity intervention for Acres Homes cancer survivors on physical functioning. Both will use a health promotion interweaving approach to embed the interventions in the environmental context of Acres Homes and Be Well Communities. The interdisciplinary approach used by the research projects will integrate behavioral science, implementation science, geospatial analytics, and health communication. The Center will include five cores: Administrative, Research and Methods, Career Enhancement, Developmental, and Engagement Core. Our conceptual framework is informed by both the environmental context and the science of behavior change. At the behavior change level, the conceptual framework incorporates the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity,

Key facts

NIH application ID
11362096
Project number
5U54CA280804-04
Recipient
UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR
Principal Investigator
KAREN M BASEN-ENGQUIST; LORNA H. MCNEILL
Activity code
U54
Funding institute
CA
Fiscal year
2026
Award amount
$1,947,476
Award type
5
Project period
2023-06-15T00:00:00 → 2028-04-30T00:00:00