Specific research areas of interest for this FOA include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Studies that incorporate multiple factors (two or more of the following factors) such as: genetic/epigenetic, physiological, social, psychological, economic and demographic, environmental, technological and cultural and family factors believed to influence child health disparities.
• Development of sensitive biological and or behavioral markers to predict risk, disease course and progression of disease.
• Interventions designed to reduce risk factors and exposures that lead to development of one or more poor health outcomes.
• Culturally and developmentally appropriate interventions that promote increased physical activity, fitness, healthier nutrition and food choices or other health enhancing child health behaviors (e.g., asthma control behaviors, cumulative effects of sedentary lifestyle associate with information technology; use of computer information technology/social networking devices).
• Studies that employ social media strategies promoting wellness, delayed onset of debilitating disease, and/or disease management.
• Energy Balance interventions using a multilevel approach addressing overweight or obesity among minority and underserved children and adolescents.
• Studies that employ economic incentives to promote health.
• Intervention studies targeting well-child care, preventive care, or developmental (early interventional or rehabilitative) care.
• Intervention studies to prevent, delay, treat or manage risk for disease or progression of disease due to altered physiological, behavioral or physical status secondary to complications of pregnancy and or intrauterine exposures.
• Interventions that target the specific health promotion needs of children with a known health condition and/or disability.
• Development of language- and culturally-appropriate assessment tools for identification of developmental delays in children who are non-English speaking or have English as a second language.
• Studies on intervention services for children with hearing loss from minority and low income families, such as access to hearing healthcare services, including hearing aids and habilitation/rehabilitation programs.
• Comparing the effectiveness of the different treatments (e.g., assistive listening devices, cochlear implants, habilitation and rehabilitation methods) for hearing loss in children from diverse cultural, language, medical, and developmental backgrounds.
• Studies that test and evaluate the comparative effectiveness of health promotion interventions conducted in traditional and nontraditional settings.
• Studies that evaluate how gender, health literacy and immigrant status (including legal and visa status) affect children’s health and access to health care.
• Studies of socialization, children’s emerging ethnic identity and gender roles and their impact on health behaviors and health outcomes.
• Intervention studies that target children’s and parent’s health beliefs, health literacy and the influence of peers and culture on health behaviors, health care utilization and health outcomes.
• Culturally sensitive intervention studies targeting patient-provider respect, communication, interactions and trust in relationships, health care utilization, adherence with treatment plans, and health outcomes.
• Development of innovative age and culturally appropriate biobehavioral measures/tools to assess risk for less optimal cognitive, behavioral, psychosocial and physical functioning.
• Interventions that include technology in biomedical imaging and bioengineering that reduce health disparities, such as low-cost diagnostic imaging and point-of-care technologies.
• Interventions to identify and treat children and adolescents from rural, poor or racial/ethnic minority groups at risk for adverse physical and mental health outcomes resulting from alcohol involvement.

NIAAA is particularly interested in the following:

• Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) resulting from intrauterine alcohol exposure who need healthcare services equipped to provide early diagnosis and intervention.
• Underserved children and adolescents already drinking (treatment interventions) or at high risk of initiating drinking.
• Screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (as necessary) of children and adolescents in school, extracurricular, community and primary care settings.