The Behavioral Determinants of Metabolic Syndrome Risk Development in Young Adults - PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
As few as 23.3% of U.S. young adults 20 years and up are considered metabolically healthy, based on the
absence of all traditional metabolic syndrome (MetS) risk factors. Such risk factors are often asymptomatic and
go undetected, clustering with other risk factors to increase future disease risk. Thus, early intervention to prevent
MetS risk accrual is crucial and it is critical that behavioral interventions are tailored to specific populations.
Accordingly, longitudinal research is needed to better understand the behavioral changes that lead to initial MetS
risk development (behavioral determinants) and the motivating factors behind these behavioral changes in young
adults. The long-term goal of the proposed research is to develop a theoretically driven intervention for
the primordial prevention of MetS risk development in college students. The overall objectives are to (i)
identify the optimal behavioral targets for the prevention of MetS risk development and (ii) to identify the
motivations behind such behaviors and develop a theoretical framework that will guide intervention design. The
rationale for this project is that the identification of the behaviors that precede MetS risk development and a
population-specific framework to explain such changes will enable the design of interventions in the early college
years to reduce the future burden of cardiovascular disease by helping young adults to adopt positive behaviors
that will likely track throughout life. To achieve these objectives, two specific aims will be pursued: 1) Identify the
behavioral determinants of MetS risk development in young adults; and 2) Explore changes in psychosocial and
environmental antecedents of observed behavioral change. Using a longitudinal observational design, 150 high
school seniors will be observed over 15 months as they transition from local high schools to behavioral
independence at colleges across the US. For the first aim, behavioral outcomes (physical activity, sedentary
behavior, sleep, diet, and risk-related behaviors) will be assessed and MetS risk scores will be calculated using
baseline traditional risk factor data. Change in risk scores and novel cardiovascular risk markers (e.g. aortic
arterial stiffness) will be assessed immediately following year one of college, upon return to the local community.
The second aim will be addressed at multiple levels of the ecological framework by assessing constructs such
as the perceived environment, perceived stress, social determinants of health, and aspects of motivational theory
such as behavioral self-regulation and self-efficacy. The approach is innovative as, in a population at-risk of initial
MetS risk factor development or risk factor clustering, we propose the first comprehensive, longitudinal
assessment of the relationship between behavior change and MetS risk, including both traditional and novel
methodologies. Moreover, we propose to do so in an ecologically valid manner that assesses actual behavior
change from the home environment to campuses across the country. The proposed research is significant as it
will promote prevention of subsequent clinical disease, strengthen the institutional research environment by
increasing future chances of grant funding, and provide multifaceted training experiences to student researchers.
