EAT 2010-2018: A Longitudinal, Multi-Contextual Study of Weight-related Problems

 描述(申请人提供)：与体重有关的问题，包括肥胖、不良饮食行为、体力活动不足、不健康的体重控制做法和身体不满在年轻人中非常普遍，并会产生不利的身体和心理社会后果。肥胖是当今社会最重要的公共健康问题之一。美国国立卫生研究院和著名研究人员呼吁进行纵向研究，检查可能影响肥胖和其他与体重相关的问题的多种环境。这项名为《Eat 2010-2018：体重相关问题的纵向、多背景研究》的研究对这些呼声作出了回应。这项研究的主要目的是在年轻人从青春期过渡到青壮年的不同人群样本中识别与体重相关问题的纵向、多背景预测因素。为了实现这一目标，拟议的研究建立在EAT 2010年对2793名青少年收集的现有数据基础上，这是先前资助的R01研究的一部分。研究人群包括来自少数民族/种族(82%)和低收入背景(71%有资格获得免费/减价学校餐)的高比例年轻人，他们肥胖的风险很高。2010年，还收集了关于这些青少年的父母、朋友、学校和社区的横断面数据。在这项拟议的研究中，后续数据将从最初的研究参与者(现在是年轻人)以及他们的父母、朋友和其他重要的人那里收集。此外，还将收集年轻人的学校/工作场所和邻里环境的数据。这项纵向研究将考察在涉及新友谊、学校、生活安排、角色和责任的关键人生历程转变期间，多种因素如何预测不同年轻人体重相关结果的变化。纳入直接从父母或其他照顾者那里直接收集的纵向数据，将有助于解决尚未回答的问题，即随着青少年和年轻成年子女变得更加独立，父母如何以适合他们发展的方式，最好地帮助他们解决与体重有关的问题。创新的研究方法将被用来调查研究参与者目前的朋友和其他重要的人，并探索随着时间的推移，早期、持续和现在的友谊对与体重相关的结果的潜在影响。关于家庭、朋友、学校/工作场所和邻里环境等领域的因素以及它们与体重相关结果的相关性，我们有很多需要学习的东西。这项全面的纵向研究将解决新的研究问题，这些问题已经成为理解年轻人与体重相关问题的病因的关键。调查结果将指导制定更具创新性和更有效的干预措施，针对多种影响环境，预防和治疗来自不同族裔/种族和社会经济背景的青少年和青年中与体重有关的广泛问题。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Weight-related problems including obesity, poor eating behaviors, inadequate physical activity, unhealthy weight control practices, and body dissatisfaction are very prevalent among young adults, and have adverse physical and psychosocial consequences. Obesity is one of the most significant public health problems in today's society. NIH and prominent researchers have called for longitudinal research that examines multiple environments with the potential to influence obesity and other weight-related problems. The proposed study, "EAT 2010-2018: A longitudinal, multi-contextual study of weight-related problems," is responsive to these calls. The primary aim of this study is to identif longitudinal, multi-contextual predictors of weight-related problems in a diverse population-based sample of young people as they transition from adolescence to young adulthood. To accomplish this aim, the proposed study builds upon existing data collected on 2,793 adolescents in EAT 2010 as part of a previously funded R01 study. The study population includes a high percentage of young people from ethnic/racial minority (82%) and low-income backgrounds (71% qualified for free/reduced price school meals at baseline) who are at high risk for obesity. In 2010, cross-sectional data were also collected on these adolescents' mothers and fathers, friends, schools, and neighborhoods. In the proposed study, follow-up data will be collected from the original study participants, who are now young adults, and their parents, friends, and significant others. Additionally, data will be collected on the young adults' school/workplace and neighborhood environments. This longitudinal study will allow for an examination of how multiple factors predict changes in weight-related outcomes among diverse young people during key life course transitions involving new friendships, schools, living arrangements, roles, and responsibilities. The inclusion of longitudinal data collected directly from both mothers and fathers, or other caregivers as relevant, will help address unanswered questions about how parents can best help their adolescent and young adult children with weight-related problems, in a developmentally appropriate way, as they become more independent. Innovative research methodologies will be utilized to survey current friends and significant others of study participants and explore the potential impact of earlier, ongoing, and current friendships on weight- related outcomes over time. There is much to be learned about factors from within the domains of family, friend, school/workplace, and neighborhood environments and their relevance for weight-related outcomes. This comprehensive, longitudinal study will address new research questions that have emerged as key to understanding the etiology of weight-related problems in young people. Findings will guide the development of more innovative and effective interventions that target multiple environments of influence to prevent and treat a broad spectrum of weight-related problems in adolescents and young adults from diverse ethnic/racial and socio-economic backgrounds.