Samoan Obesity, Lifestyle and Genetic Adaptations Study Group

25/11/2025

Faafetai Tele Lava mo i latou sa fa’afeso’ota’i mai i le matou su’esu’ega o le HOPE i lenei vaia*o! O le sailiga mo i latou o lo’o fia auai o lo’o fa’aauauina pea i lenei taimi aga’i atu i masina o lo’o i le lumana’i. A faapea o oe po’o e silifia seisi o lo’o ma’itaga ma ua latalata lona a*o e fanau ai, Faamolemole fa’afeso’ota’i mai - O lo’o matou fiafia lava e avea oe ma sui auai o le matou su’esu’ega !

Thank you to all who responded to our request for participants for the HOPE study this week! Enrollment for HOPE will be ongoing for the next several months so if you, or someone you know, is expecting a baby, please reach out - we would love to have you take part!

12/11/2025

Huge congratulations to our collaborator and friend, Dr. Satupaitea Viali - we could not be prouder to work alongside you!

Associate Professor Dame Teuila Percival and Professor Satupaitea Viali are among 13 leading Pacific researchers and innovators elected as new Fellows of the Pacific Academy of Sciences (PAS). Their...

12/11/2025

O lo’o matou su’eina ni Tina ma’itaga o lo’o atoa le 30 vaia*o o le ma’itaga e fai ma sui auai o le matou su’esu’ega e taua o le HOPE. O lenei suesuega e taua o le HOPE e mulimulitaia ai Tina ma o latou Pepe mai le fa’ai’uga o le ma’itaga seia paia le 6 masina o le pepe fa’atua fanau, ina ia malamalama atili ai vaega eseese o le soifua maloloina, ma le tuputupua’e o le tamaititi. O le a iai sina totogi tupe pe afai o lea e malie mai ete auai i lenei su’esu’ega.

Faamolemole afai o lo’o ausia ma le 30 vaia*o o lou ma’itaga?, O oe o se samoa? Ma o lo’o e nofo mau i Amerika Samoa? Faamolemole faafesoota’i mai, o le a iai se tasi o matou sui e faafesoota’i atu oe aua nisi o faamalamalamaaga atili.

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We are currently recruiting women in their third trimester of pregnancy to participate in our HOPE study. HOPE follows women and their babies from late pregnancy to 6 months after birth to understand some of the factors associated with healthy child growth. You will be paid for your time if you choose to participate.

If you are more than 30 weeks pregnant, Samoan, and live in American Samoa, please reach out and someone will call you with more information!

11/11/2025

🇦🇸🇦🇸🇦🇸 Come and join the OLAGA team APPLY by Monday 17 November 2025 5pm. 🇦🇸🇦🇸🇦🇸

03/09/2025

O vaega mata’ituina o matou su’esu’ega e patino tonu lea i le taumafai lea e teena ni fa’ama’i e aofia ai le Fatu, Ala toto ola, ma le toto o le tino. I ni nai su’esu’ega tetele ua mae’a atu, o lo’o fa’amaonia mai ai i le tele o tagata o le pasefika o lo’o maualuga se avanoa e aafia ai i latou i le ma’i fatu, ma le pepe o le tino e ese mai i isi tagata.

Much of our work focuses on the early prevention of diseases that affect the cardiovascular system. A recent large-scale study highlighted how Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders are at greater risk of coronary heart disease and stroke than other groups: https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/JAHA.124.039076 While lifestyle risk factors like body mass index and smoking were important, there remains much to learn about other factors that impact cardiovascular health.

BackgroundLittle is known about clinical and sociodemographic factors affecting coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke incidence in single‐race and multiracial American Asian, Native Hawaiian, and...

28/08/2025

O le suesuega e taua o le GROW STUDY e patino tonu lea i le kenera ma poo lea le mafuaaga o le ma’i s**a a’o ma’itaga le tina. O le ata lenei o loo faamatala auiliili atu ai kenera eseese ma poo lea lona taua i le soifua maloloina.

The GROW study is focused on the genetics of gestational diabetes. Here is a primer on our genes and why they matter for health.

26/08/2025

O lea se vaaiga lautele pea faapea e te auai i lenei suesuega e taua o le “GROW STUDY?

E fitu taimi e tatou fa’afeiloa’i: Fa’atolu i le taimai a’o e ma’itaga ae fa’afa pea fanau lau pepe.

E tele suesuega eseese o lea matou faatinoina e malamalama atili ai i le ma’i s**a pea ma’itaga le tina, ma le taimi ua mae’a ai ona fanau lau pepe. O nei suesuega e aofia ai le aoina o le toto, i le taumafai lea e vaavaai pe faafefea e lou tino ona taumafai e faapaleni le s**a o lea e inu ina.

O nei asiasiga taitasi, o lea matou aoina uma faamaumauga i le faaga*ologa o lou soifuaga. - E aofia ai au meaai taumfa, gaioiga faatino, vaega o lo’o alu ai le mafaufau. O vaega uma nei o loo iai se aafiaga i le maua ai o oe i le ma’i s**a pea ma’itaga.

E iai masini faatekenolosi o lea faapena ona vaaia ai le aofaiga o le ga’o, le malosi o ou ma*o, ma le malolosi o ou ponaivi ( O e silifiaina o ma*o ma ponaivi o lou tino e tele le latou matafaioi i le fesoa*oani lea i le faagaioia o le s**a i lou tino)

O le faaga*ologa o lenei suesuega, o lea iai sui o le matou au faigaluega o le a fesoa*oani atili atu ia te oe aua ni fesili fia malamalama, ma faafesootaia oe i tagata sa’o e ao ona fesoa*oani ia te oe i le lumana’i

Susu Mai ma Tala mai aao ! Afai o lo’o e ma’itaga e i lalo mai le 14 vaia*o?

What does it mean to be part of the GROW study?

We see you seven times - three times while you are pregnant and four times after you give birth

We use several different tests to understand your risk of gestational and postpartum diabetes, including drawing blood to watch how your body responds to a dose of sugar.

At each study visit we collect data about your lifestyle - including your diet, activity, and stress levels. All of these things can impact our risk of developing diabetes.

We use state of the art technology to look at the fat, muscle and bone in your body (did you know that muscles and bone have important roles in helping our bodies process sugar?)

Throughout the study you work with our brilliant team who are always available to answer questions about the study and connect you with health care providers as needed.

Join us! If you are early in your pregnancy (before 14 weeks) we’d love to hear from you!

25/08/2025

O le matou sini taua o le taumafai lea e faatumauina le ola soifua maloloina i tagata samoa ma le pasefika atoa i le auai atu lea suesuega o loo taumafai e malamalama poo a vaega o loo fesoa*oani i le tuputupu a’e i faama’i eseese, ma poo a ni vaega e mafai ona teena ai.

O le Suesuega taua o le (GROW) O le a mulimulitaia ai tina ma tama’ita’i ma’itaga mai le amataga o le tauafuafua seia o’o atu ina ua atoa le sefuluvalu(18) masina o le Pepe pea fanau. O le sini autu o lenei suesuega o le taumfai lea e malamalama pe aisea le mafuaaga ona maua isi o tina poo tamaitai i le ma’i s**a pea ma’itaga, ma poo le tatou kenera o leisi lea vaega o loo fesoa*oani ai, ma poo lea se aafiaga o lenei vaega i le soifua maloloina o tina ma tamaita’i ma’itaga.

Mulimulita’i mai lenei vaia*o atoa o lea faailoa atu ai ni lesona taua e faatatau i le ma’i s**a a’o ma’itaga le tina, ma pe aisea fo’i ona matou faia lenei suesuega.

Our major goal is to contribute to lifelong health among Samoans and other Pacific people through research that understands both the contributors to chronic disease and the best ways to prevent them.

The GROW study (Gestational Diabetes and Related Outcomes among American Samoan Women) will follow 350 pregnant women from very early in their pregnancy until 18 months after they give birth. The goal of the study is to understand why some people develop diabetes while they are pregnant, what our genes might have to do with our risk of gestational diabetes, and what this means for mom’s health after birth.

Follow along this week to learn more about gestational diabetes and why we are conducting this study.

22/08/2025

O le vaia*o fou, o le a faalauiloa ai le suesue fou e taua o le “GROW” O lea matou faa*oa atu uma vaega eseese o lenei suesuega, o fesili matou te fia iloa le tali, ma poo ai e mafai ona auai.
Matou te su’eina uma tina poo tamaita’i ma’itaga iinei i Amerika Samoa. O oe lena?

Next week, our new study GROW is taking over! We will tell you all about the study, the questions we are trying to answer, and who can participate. We are looking for women in American Samoa who are currently pregnant. Is this you?

21/08/2025

O le a matou te sauniuni atu e faa*oa atu nisi o matou faamaumauga sa mauaina mai le suesuega lea e taua o le “Ola Tuputupua’e” i le Minista o le Soifua Maloloina i se taimi o i luma. O lenei suesuega sa auai ai aiga Samoa eseese e ova ma le 500 i Upolu nei. I le taumafai lea e malamalama i le vaega eseese taua e fesoa*oani i le ola tuputupua’e o le tamaititi. O lenei tausaga o le a faamanatu ai le 10 tausaga o lenei suesuega, ma o le a manatuaina ai nisi o tamaiti laiti mai le 2-4 tausaga le matutua sa faapena ona auai mai i le matou suesuega i le tausaga 2015.

We are getting ready to share our most recent Ola Tuputupua’e data with the Samoa Ministry of Health. This study follows over 500 families across ‘Upolu to understand the major contributors to healthy child growth and development. This year we are celebrating 10 years of the study and remembering the tiny 2-4 year olds we first recruited in 2015

21/08/2025

Faavae mautu….

Mai talaaga o tatou tuaa, Samoa e ola i meaai taumafa mai le sami ma le laueleele: I’a Mata, Laau Mata, Talo, Ulu, Popo. E iai suesuga faasaeanisi o loo faailoa mai ai o meaai nei e puipuia ai oe mai le Ma’i o le Fatu, Ma’i S**a, Ma le tino p**a.

O le ā lau mea’ai Samoa e te sili ona fiafia i ai?

Wisdom in every bite…

Generations of Samoans thrived on foods from the land and sea: fresh fish, leafy greens, taro, breadfruit, coconut. Modern science confirms that these foods protect against heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

What’s your favorite traditional dish?

20/08/2025

# Feiloa’iileAuFaigaluegaileAsoLua o se taimi aoga lelei nei e faalauiloa ai sui fou o le au faigaluega, Emele Iosefa ma Peresia Tupuola, o lea ua auai mai i le matou vaega au mo Amerika Samoa o lea faapena ona galue lea i tatou suesuega e lua e patino i Tina ma’itaga o loo faaauauina nei.

is the perfect time to introduce new team members, Emele Iosefa and Peresia Tupuola (Sia) who are joining the dream team in American Samoa to work on our two ongoing pregnancy studies. 🥰