# Engaging men from blue-collar industries in weight loss: Tailoring recruitment and treatment approaches

> **NIH NIH K01** · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · 2020 · $149,375

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Men working in blue-collar industries (e.g., machine operation, transportation, construction, etc.) have a high
prevalence of overweight and obesity and have high rates of comorbidities associated with obesity.
Unfortunately, these men are unlikely to participate in evidenced-based weight loss interventions. To improve
their participation in these programs, a multidisciplinary approach is needed. To address this need, I am
applying for this Mentored Research Scientist Development Award to gain additional scientific and technical
skills in 1) qualitative methods, 2) communication science, and 3) health economics and apply these skills to
intervention development and evaluation. My mentoring team includes psychologists with expertise in
behavioral intervention development (Drs. Appelhans and Powell), a men’s health communication and
qualitative methodology expert (Dr. Baglia), and a health economist (Dr. Walton). Along with my mentoring
team, I have developed a rigorous training plan that will allow me to simultaneously fill the gaps in my training
while conducting impactful work focused on an understudied population. I will investigate how to develop
recruitment messages that encourage participation in weight loss programs and adapt behavioral weight loss
strategies for use among men working in blue-collar industries. Aim 1 of this project is to determine how to
tailor recruitment messages and intervention components to maximize reach and engagement of men in
weight loss programs. I will conduct semi-structured interviews and focus groups with men from the target
population followed by an online closed-response survey. The survey will include a discrete choice experiment
which provides data to develop models of participants’ relative preferences for intervention and message
components. The second aim is to test the feasibility of using refined messages and intervention components
in a randomized trial. The results of this project are crucial for developing appropriate ways to reach this high
burden and underserved population and will yield compelling preliminary data for my R01 application. Further,
by completing this project I will have the training to launch my career as an independent investigator focused
on developing behavioral interventions for underserved populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9976527
- **Project number:** 5K01DK119457-02
- **Recipient organization:** RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Melissa Marie Crane
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $149,375
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2019-07-15 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9976527

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9976527, Engaging men from blue-collar industries in weight loss: Tailoring recruitment and treatment approaches (5K01DK119457-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9976527. Licensed CC0.

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