Physiologic stress and sexual orientation disparities in risk for type 2 diabetes among women

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT This is an application for a K01 Career Development Award for Dr. Nicole VanKim, an Assistant Professor at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Dr. VanKim has her PhD in social and behavioral epidemiology from the University of Minnesota, where she developed expertise in sexual orientation disparities in weight-related behaviors, such as physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and eating habits. Her long-term career goal is to reduce chronic disease disparities and improve the health of sexual minority women by identifying biopsychoscial pathways that contribute to sexual orientation disparities in diseases including type 2 diabetes. Building on her previous experience, training components focus on a combination of formal and informal coursework in molecular epidemiology, biomarker collection and analysis, biology, pathophysiology, physiology, endocrinology, and metabolism as well as activities to integrate acquired knowledge into understanding of sexual minority health and risk for type 2 diabetes. The mentorship team, is comprised of leading experts in different aspects of molecular and biomarker epidemiology, allostatic load, physiology, endocrinology, and women’s health. The proposed research aims will explore behavioral, psychosocial, and other health factors that contribute to allostatic load as well as assess sexual orientation disparities in allostatic load and the role of allostatic load in the relationship between sexual orientation and type 2 diabetes risk (including insulin resistance and incident disease) among women. Data from two study populations will be used: longitudinal data from women in the Nurses’ Health Study II cohort and women who will be recruited to participate in a new data collection study. Findings from the proposed research will inform the development of future research on stress pathways that contribute to sexual orientation disparities as well as inform evidence- based public health efforts and effectively targeted intervention strategies to reduce type 2 diabetes risk among sexual minority women.