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Diet-related chronic diseases on the rise

More than half of American adults battle chronic health conditions because of the types of food they eat. 42% of Americans have two or more major chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, hypertension, obesity, cancer or diabetes. The prevalence of these conditions has increased steadily over the past 20 years.

Cardiovascular disease

48.6% of all adults in the U.S.—127.9 million—have cardiovascular disease.
It is the nation’s #1 cause of death.

Diabetes

Half of American adults suffer from diabetes or pre-diabetes.

  • 14.7% (38.1 million) have diabetes.
  • 38% (97.6 million) have prediabetes.

High cholesterol

About 48% of U.S. adults aged 65 and older have been diagnosed with cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dL.

Why agriculture is the solution

Food is key to the prevention and management of many chronic diseases. Complex factors—environmental, economic, and social/cultural—influence the menu of foods we eat.

These factors underlie food production and influence food quality. They determine availability of nutritious food in various communities. They drive consumers’ food choices. They have much to do with our nation’s current state of human health.

For example, environmental stewardship is critical to the quality and safety of the food supply. Agricultural methods that strategically manage environmental concerns have a downstream effect on the food we eat. Indirectly, they enable us to address diet-related chronic diseases.

By making agricultural considerations central to our battle against such diseases, the IHA takes a quantum leap forward in reducing their toll.

Responsive agriculture

At the heart of our efforts is the concept of responsive agriculture. This concept envisions an agricultural system and food environment that work synergistically to support health through nutrition.

Responsive agriculture ensures that the network of food producers is economically robust. It promotes practices that are environmentally sustainable—eco-friendly guardrails that secure the food production system for future generations.

Research initiatives

IHA research spans three disciplines:

Our collaborative research model gives scholars from each discipline a seat at the table. Research not only occurs within each disciplinary hub, but across them as well. By uniting diverse ideas and perspectives, we craft comprehensive solutions to health problems.

  • Change Club Rural Library Comparative Effectiveness Study 

    Principal Investigator (MPI): Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Ph.D. This community-based civic engagement NINR R01 study is taking place in rural towns in Oregon in partnership with libraries. Half of the libraries are implementing the Step it Up (SIU) evidence-based walking program and the other half are implementing SIU plus the Change Club to catalyze positive built environment…

  • Change Club Texas & New York 

    Principal Investigator: Rebecca Seguin-Fowler, Ph.D. This community-based civic engagement NCI R01 study is taking place in communities in New York and Texas. A Change Club is a small group of residents who will meet regularly to change their community’s built environment relative to food or physical activity opportunities. Change Club groups are a part of…

  • Diet exposure assessment project

    Measuring factors that connect diet and health, and helping people shift their dietary habits

  • Discovering the antioxidant properties and benefits of grains (sorghum) and other novel uses to enhance human health

    A pilot for scaling interdisciplinary research to connect agriculture and health.

  • Healthy School Recognized Campus (HSRC) Program

    Using a school-wide walking program to build healthy habits.

  • Maternal and child health study

    Exploring the connection between diet and health outcomes for expectant and new mothers and their children

  • Pay-What-You-Can Community Cafés

    Principal Investigator: Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, Ph.D. Community cafes offer a novel approach addressing food insecurity, welcoming everyone regardless of their ability to pay. This descriptive study gathers data from cafe guests and volunteers through an online survey to understand their motivations for engaging with the cafe model, whether for food, community, or other reasons.…

  • Produce Prescription Program for Healthy Blood Pressure (PRx BP)

    Principal Investigator: Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, Ph.D. This pilot randomized controlled trial targets West Dallas, TX residents with hypertension, aiming to improve blood pressure through fresh produce consumption. Participants are randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group receives weekly produce bags and educational sessions from June to December 2023. The control group, initially…

  • Responsive Agriculture Forum

    Leading experts, researchers and industry representatives will join thought-provoking conversations as we collectively shape the future of the Responsive Agriculture hub at the IHA. 

  • Spanish Translation of USDA EFNEP Food and Physical Activity Behavior Questionnaire

    Principal Investigator: Alexandra L. MacMillan Uribe, Ph.D. This study involves a collection of psychometric testing, including cognitive interviews conducted virtually (via Microsoft Teams or Zoom) or in-person at partner institutions (Texas A&M, UC Merced, Rutgers, Oklahoma State University). The goal is to establish face validity and semantic equivalence for EFNEP-eligible Spanish-speaking adults in Texas, Oklahoma,…

  • Strong Hearts Digital

    An app-based education system teaching healthy eating and physical activity.

  • Strong Teens for Healthy Schools Change Club

    A middle school-based, 16-week program aiming to instill healthy habits in teens.

  • Texas MyPlate Food Ambassadors Changing Environments and Schools

    Empowering high school students to help bring MyPlate education equity to rural schools in Texas.

  • Texas Play Streets

    A project which aims to close city streets for a designated period of time to allow for family playtime.

  • The Mind|Full Study

    A micro-randomized trial utilizing real-time glucose monitoring and ecological momentary assessments to guide dietary intake behavior in adults at high risk of prediabtes.

USDA-ARS partnership

The Institute partners with the USDA-ARS Responsive Agricultural Food Systems Research Unit. USDA-ARS partners contribute invaluable expertise in big data, state-of-the-art sensors, and computational systems. They strengthen our work in responsive agriculture, precision nutrition, and behavioral research.

Policy guidance

IHA experts provide scientific insights to legislative leaders. Their guidance spans a range of topics, among them:

  • federal food assistance programs
  • dietary guidance
  • agriculture/food systems

By informing policy development, the IHA improves the health of countless communities.