Nutrition and Health Disparities Implementation Working Group
This working group seeks to advance NIH research to understand the interactions between diet, nutritional status, the environment, and biological and behavioral processes, and how they contribute to health disparities. It will also encourage research on how to prevent and treat nutrition-related diseases and reduce health inequities. Because “nutrition and health disparities” is a cross-cutting theme of the Strategic Plan for Nutrition Research, the workgroup will collaborate with the other IWGs to support nutrition and health disparities research. These activities will stimulate the development of research priorities that elucidate how diversity of all kinds — race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, disability, sex, gender, gender identity, or geography — influences nutrition and health interrelationships.
Alison Brown, NHLBI
Tanya Agurs-Collins, NCI
Ligia Artiles, NIMHD
Paul Cotton, NHLBI
Heather D'Angelo, NCI
Laurie Donze, NHLBI
Regine Douthard, ORWH
Sanae ElShourbagy Ferreira, NCATS
Mary Evans, NIDDK
Kimberlea Gibbs, NICHD
Margaret M. Grisius, NIDCR
Kirsten Herrick, NCI
Hiroko Iida, NIDCR
Bill Jirles, NIEHS
Lyndon Joseph, NIA
Brama Kowtha, ODP
Priscah Mujuru, NIMHD
Linda Nebeling, NCI
Holly Nicastro, ONR
April Oh, NCI
Charlotte Pratt, NHLBI
Amanda Price, NINR
Nishadi Rajapakse, NHLBI
Jill Reedy, NCI
Karen Regan, ODS
Marissa Shams-White,NCI
Yang (Scarlet) Shi, NHLBI
Natalie Tomitch, OAR
Anil Wali, NCI
Dan Xi, NCI
Intramural Subject Matter Experts:
Tiffany Powell-Wiley, NHLBI
ONR Support Staff:
Kimberly Barch, ONR
Nutrition Health Disparites Research Framework
Nutrition Health Disparities Research Framework
Domains of Influence(Over the Life Course) |
Levels of Influence |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | Interpersonal | Community | Societal | |||
| Biological | Taste Predispositions, Nutritional Status, Nutrition Metabolism, Nutrigenomics, Metabolomics, Microbiome, Food Allergies and Intolerances | Maternal -Child Interaction, Feeding Practices (e.g., breastfeeding), Family Microbiome | Community Illness Food Contaminant |
Sanitation Pathogen Exposure (e.g., E Coli) | ||
| Behavioral | Dietary Intake, Dietary Habits, Eating Patterns, Coping Strategies | Family Dietary Practices (e.g., family meals) School/Work Dietary Behavior |
Community Functioning Community engagement (lobbying for full- service grocery stores) |
Nutrition Policies and Laws (e.g., food assistance programs and access) State- and City-level Food and Nutrition Policies (e.g., soda taxes) | ||
| Physical/Built Environment | Personal Food Environment and Access (e.g., exposure to fast food at home) | Household Food Environment School/Work Food Environment |
Community Environment Community Resources Neighborhood Food Environment (e.g., food deserts, food marketing) |
Societal Structures (e.g., zoning laws) Dept. of Education and School System Workplace Policies and Accommodations, Food Marketing |
||
| Sociocultural Environment | Food Preferences, Sociodemographic (e.g., discretionary income) Food Literacy and Preparation Skills Limited English Cultural Identity/Acculturation Response to Discrimination | Social Networks Family/Peer Norms Interpersonal Discrimination (e.g., dietary practice, body image) |
Community Norms Local Structural Discrimination (e.g., dietary practice, body image) |
Social Norms Food System (e.g., supply chain, food costs) Societal Structural Discrimination |
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| Health Care System | Insurance Coverage, Access, Utilization Health Literacy Treatment Preferences Nutrition Medical Therapy | Patient-Clinician Relationship Medical Decision-Making (e.g., referrals to RDs) |
Availability of Services Safety Net Nutrition Services (e.g., WIC, SNAP, food pantries) |
Quality of Care Health Care Policies for Nutrition Services (e.g., screening & treatment) |
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| Health Outcomes | Individual Health |
Family/Organizational Health |
Community Health |
Population Heath |
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The Nutrition Health Disparities Research Framework was adapted from the NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework. The framework highlights multiple factors and their intersection that are relevant to understanding and addressing nutrition-related health disparities. Our definition of health disparities includes race/ethnicity, low socioeconomic status, rural, sexual/gender, and minority populations. Additionally, other fundamental characteristics such as sex/gender, disability, and geographic region are included in the framework. For more information about the NIMHD Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework see https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/about/overview/research-framework/. We welcome your comments on the Nutrition Health Disparities Research Framework. Please submit feedback to nutritionresearch@nih.gov.
This page last reviewed on January 18, 2023