Goal:
To generate high quality evidence on modifiable factors influencing mental and cardiometabolic health and test behavioral interventions to improve Hispanic Health.
Current Projects
Chronic and daily stressors, dysfunctional eating behaviors and cardiometabolic risk among adults in Puerto Rico.
-Funder: NIH NHLBI
-Mechanism: K01
-Description: This career development award focuses on understanding key chronic and daily stressors influencing cardiometabolic outcomes among adults in Puerto Rico and evaluating dysfunctional eating behaviors as mediators of these relationships. It also examines key resilience factors buffering the effects of daily stressors on negative emotions, eating behaviors, and cardiometabolic markers.
Implementation of a short mindfulness-based program for young women in Puerto Rico - a pilot randomized controlled trial.
-Funder: American Heart Association
-Mechanism: Second Century Faculty Independence Award
-Description: This career development award focuses on testing a tailored mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention for young adult women in Puerto Rico through a randomized controlled trial. It aims to evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects on mental health and cardiometabolic outcomes.
Completed Projects
Quantifying exposure to acute stressors, negative emotions, dysfunctional eating behaviors and T2D risk: a pilot ecological momentary assessment study among adults in Puerto Rico.
-Funder: Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance (GA CTSA)
-Mechanism: Pilot and Feasibility Funds Program
-Description: This pilot study aimed to develop an ecological momentary assessments protocol to measure acute stressors, negative emotions, dysfunctional eating behaviors, and risk of type 2 diabetes among adults at high risk of disease residing in Puerto Rico.
Shift-and-persist and cardiometabolic health among women in Puerto Rico: a pilot study of a telephone mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
-Funder: Emory Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) Program
-Mechanism: KL2
-Description: This career development award evaluated how resilience factors were associated with favorable cardiometabolic and mental health outcomes among young adults in Puerto Rico using data from PR-OUTLOOK. It also tailored and pilot test a stress-reduction intervention among young adult women in Puerto Rico.
Chronic stress, negative eating behaviors, and glucose metabolism among US Hispanic adults.
-Funder: New York Regional Center for Diabetes Translation Research (NYCDTR)
-Mechanism: Pilot and Feasibility Funds Program
-Description: The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate the associations between chronic stress, negative eating behaviors, and risk factors for type 2 diabetes in US Hispanics. Specifically, this pilot study leveraged baseline and 6-year data from the largest cohort of Hispanics in the US (Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL)) to evaluate objective overeating in relation to chronic stressors and changes in adiposity markers.
Food Access and Security, Healthcare, and Glycemic Control Among Adults with Diabetes During the COVID-19 Pandemic
-Funder: Puerto Rico Public Health Trust
-Mechanism: Pilot Grants Program
-Description: This ancillary study to the PROSPECT cohort evaluated access to food and healthcare among adults with type 2 diabetes before and after the pandemic. It also assessed changes in eating behaviors and glycemic status.
Completed Collaborations
PR-COVACUPS: Puerto Rico (PR) COVID-19 Vaccine Uptake Study.
-Funder: NIH NIMHD
-PI: Fernández-Repollet; Role: Co-Investigator
-Description: The goal of this administrative supplement was to develop, tailor, and test a COVID-19 vaccine uptake intervention for adults with low-income residing in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (PR CEAL) Cycle 2.
-Funder: NIH NHLBI
-PI: Colón and Pérez; Role: Co-Investigator
-Description: The goal of this study was to develop, tailor, and test a stress reduction intervention for breast cancer survivors residing in Puerto Rico to improve mental health outcomes and health behaviors.
Puerto Rico Community Engagement Alliance Against COVID-19 Disparities (PR CEAL) Cycle 1.
-Funder: NIH NHLBI
-PI: Colón and Pérez; Role: Co-Investigator
-Description: The goal of this study was to document attitudes and believes towards COVID-19 booster vaccination among adults in Puerto Rico and evaluate social determinants of health associated with booster vaccine hesitancy.