Fitbit is awarding six organizations, including UCHealth and Scripps Research, more than $300,000 for various research projects focused on improving health equity, the company said Oct. 13.
The awards are part of Fitbit's health equity research initiative, which the company launched in April to support researchers working on projects addressing health disparities in underserved patient populations.
The wearable device company will grant the six recipients $300,000 as well as access to Fitbit devices and services that collect activity, sleep and heart rate data. Here are the six award recipients and their respective projects.
- Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta) will use the funds and Fitbit devices to support research for improving postpartum care for rural Black mothers.
- Oregon State University (Corvallis) will use the funds and Fitbit's technology to study sleep health in transgender youth.
- Sansum Diabetes Research Institute (Santa Barbara, Calif.) will use the award and Fitbit devices to study the effects of physical activity, nutrition and sleep patterns on Type 2 diabetes among Latino individuals.
- Scripps Research (La Jolla, Calif.) will use the funds and Fitbit's technology to track biometric data of Black and Hispanic pregnant people and why they experience higher rates of pregnancy-related mortality compared to non-Hispanic and white individuals.
- Sky Schools (Washington, D.C.) will use the award and Fitbit devices to study the effects of heart rate, sleep and physical activity interventions have on improving children's emotional skills and well-being.
- UCHealth (Aurora, Colo.) will use the funds and Fitbit's technology to support research aimed at reducing cardiovascular disease risk factors in Hispanic families.