# TEEN HEED: An Adolescent Diabetes Prevention Intervention Incorporating Novel Mobile Health Technologies

> **NIH NIH R03** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2020 · $127,125

## Abstract

Project Summary
 The number of youth with type 2 diabetes in the U.S. is projected to increase by a
staggering 49 percent by 2050, with higher rates among minority youth. The Diabetes
Prevention Program (DPP) is recognized as a sentinel study demonstrating the effectiveness of
lifestyle interventions for diabetes prevention among pre-diabetic adults but has not yet been
replicated in youth. In addition, such intensive interventions are often not sustainable in high risk
communities with limited resources. One strategy that has been successfully employed in adults
from such communities is peer based health education. However, there have been no peer led
interventions in ethnic minority teens and no interventions focused specifically on weight loss for
diabetes prevention. Another challenge identified in existing youth health intervention programs
is keeping youth engaged to enhance program participation and impact. One potential strategy
is the use of mobile technologies (text messaging, mobile applications, social media) to support
weight management programs, but to date use of such technologies has largely not been
studied in youth. The Principal Investigator's current NIH Mentored Patient-Oriented Research
Career Development Award (K23) aims to use CBPR to develop and pilot test a peer-led
diabetes prevention intervention incorporating mobile health technologies for at-risk
adolescents. Based on results of focus groups which explored strategies for using peer
educators and mHealth tools as part of a group lifestyle change program, we did not find
existing tools with all the features and functionalities required by users. We therefore began
working with teen stakeholders to adapt an existing social media platform (Facebook) and
create a new mobile application platform to support participants as they complete the
intervention. This R03 research proposal aims to bring together clinical, technology and
community experts to further develop and evaluate the mobile health platforms. This will provide
important pilot data to refine and disseminate the intervention for a larger RCT to be tested in a
future R01.
 Specific Aims: 1. Synthesize real-time data and analytics and conduct user interface (UI) testing
to refine and enhance features of the prototype mobile application and social media platforms.
2. Investigate the potential for developed mHealth platforms to be used as an adjunct to the in-person
group educational intervention or as a standalone intervention by examining whether level of use, user
satisfaction, and degree of engagement with the platforms modifies behavioral and clinical outcomes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9929578
- **Project number:** 5R03DK118302-02
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Nita Vangeepuram
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $127,125
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-06-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9929578

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9929578, TEEN HEED: An Adolescent Diabetes Prevention Intervention Incorporating Novel Mobile Health Technologies (5R03DK118302-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9929578. Licensed CC0.

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