Dr. Daniela Sotres-Alvarez, associate professor of biostatistics at the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, has received a grant of $704,562 from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Dr. Sotres-Alvarez will study the preconceptual health of Latinas and its association with child adiposity.
“This study will improve understanding of the association between the health of a mother before she conceives and childhood obesity,” Dr. Sotres-Alvarez said. “This is a topic that is not well studied, yet one that is important, given the poor cardiovascular status and high prevalence of childhood obesity among Hispanics/Latinos.”
Study results will be used to design better intervention studies to ensure that Hispanic/Latina women can be as healthy as possible before conceiving and that their children will be healthy and well.
Co-principal investigator for the grant is Dr. Anna Maria Siega-Riz, Dr. Jeanette Lancaster Alumni Professor of Nursing and associate dean for research at the University of Virginia’s School of Nursing.
