American Samoa Youth Cardiometabolic Risk Survey

Supported by the US National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive & Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

  • What is the study?

    The 2024 American Samoa Youth Cardiometabolic Risk Survey is currently enrolling high school students in American Samoa. The goals of the study are to: (1) establish the prevalence of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes among adolescents; (2) to identify risk factors associated with these conditions; and (3) to use social network analysis to understand how obesity and diabetes are patterned among friendship groups.

  • Which high schools are partcipating?

    Supported by the American Samoa Department of Education and the Department of Health, enrollment is taking place at Leone High School, Tafuna High School, and Nu’uli Vocational Technical High School (Voc-Tech).

  • Why social network analysis?

    During adolescence the influence of peers may become stronger than that of families. Studies have shown that obesity and associated risk behaviors are often patterned among friendship groups and related to several influential individuals. By identifying these individuals it may be possible to target them with interventions to reduce risk and produce a ‘trickle-down’ effect among a whole friendship group.

  • Meet Principal Investigator, Mata'u Faiai

    In 2020, Matau’itafa Faiai, from Leone, American Samoa, became the first Pacific Islander student to matriculate ito Yale School of Public Health’s PhD Program. Supported by an NIH F31 award from NIDDK this work forms the basis of her dissertation research. Read more about Mata’u and her career to date in the Fall 2024 NIDDK Director’s Update.

  • The study is enrolling high schol students attending Leone, Tafuna, and Nu’uli Voc-Tech. To participate, students must return a signed parent consent form and provide their written assent to participate.

  • Participation in the study takes around an hour and takes place during classroom time. Participants complete a questionnaire describing their health behaviors, body image, and mental health, and complete physical measurements (height, weight, waist circumference, blood pressure, and glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c). All participants recieve immediate feedback on their health measurements.

  • If you are interested in participating in the study, please check our Facebook page (@YaleOlaga) for announcements about study dates. Alternatively, contact Principal Investigator Mata’u Faiai at matauitafa.faiai@yale.edu

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