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Introduction

Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Healthy diet and regular physical activity (exercise) improve heart health. The risk of heart disease can be reduced by increasing the time you engage in physical activity. Some features of where you live, such as crime or how well you get along with neighbors, can lead to stress. The neighborhood you live in can also decrease your chances for doing exercise. Both high stress and limited chances for doing exercise can increase your risk of heart disease.

The purpose of this research is to determine if there are differences in stress levels between women who live in Wards 3 and 5 of Washington D.C. This study is being led in partnership with DC community leaders. The length of this study is roughly 2 weeks. We also want to see if there are differences in how women from Wards 3 and 5 of D.C. use their neighborhoods for doing exercise.

If you are eligible for this study, we will ask you to come to the NIH Clinical Center and consent to participate in the study. You will then have a physical exam, electrocardiogram, blood testing, and be asked to stay overnight for other body measurements to be taken on the second day. During your 2-day visit, we will perform a PET/CT scan to measure the metabolic activity of different parts of the body, including the brain while also assessing inflammation. We will also ask you to fill out a few surveys. You will use three different kinds of distinct mobile devices to measure how you use your neighborhood for physical activity. You will use: 1) a wrist-worn activity device (i.e., collecting your physical activity level); 2) a global positioning system (GPS) device (i.e., monitoring the locations where you travel throughout 2 weeks); and 3) phone-based mobile applications (app; i.e., assessing your physical activity and stress level via survey questions). The activity monitoring will last for at least 2 weeks (14 days). We will collect information about your level of physical activity and your stress level through the mobile device and app.

To get started:

  • Navigate through the menu to learn more about the study.
  • Log in to the application and fill out questionnaires.

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.