Samoan Obesity, Lifestyle and Genetic Adaptations Study Group

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Samoan Obesity, Lifestyle and Genetic Adaptations Study Group

A research organization focused on improving lifelong health for all Samoans.

02/04/2026

O lea la ua iai si ou silafia itititi ile HOPE ma mea matou te faia, ae faapefea foi ona e auai?

E mafai ona e agava’a e te auai ile su’esu’ega pe a faapea o oe o se tagatanu’u o Samoa po’o se tagatanu’u ole Pasefika, ma ia itiiti ifo ile 34 vaia*o ole ma’itaga .

Afai e te auai, e itiiti ni itu lamatia o lenei su’esu’ega .E te maitauina ni vaega itiiti e tiga ile taimi e aoina ai fa’amaumauga, ma e fa’ailoa atu lava i fa’amatalaga i luga o lau pepa fesili. O lou auai foi o lou lava finagalo malie.

A iai se fesili pe fia malamalama atili? Fa’ailoa mai au fesili ile vaega o komeni. A e silafia foi se tasi o lo fia auai ile tatou su’esu’ega ? Fa’a*oa iai la tatou Polokalame
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Now that you know a little about what HOPE and what we do, how can you get involved?

You are eligible to join this study if you are Samoan or Pacific Islander, and at least 34 weeks pregnant.

If you participate, the risks for this study are minor. You may experience some small discomforts or pain during data collection, and will reveal some personal information on your questionnaires. All participation is voluntary!!!

Any questions? Put any question you might have in the comments. Do you know anyone who might be interested in our study? Share this post with them.

01/04/2026

O a vaega faatino i asiasiga nei?

Afai ua e filifili e te auai,o le a matou aoina sina vaega o le faua mai ia te oe ma lau pepe, o se vaega o le toto, inuina o le vai suamalie i lou maota ae e te lei agai mai i le ofisa mo lau polokalame, o ni faamaumauga mai ia te oe ma pepe e uiga i au faamaumauga mai i le falemai, O le a matou faaaogaina nei vaega uma e maua ai faamatalaga sao mai ia te oe ma lou tagata.
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What’s going to happen during these visits?

If you choose to participate, we will collect things like spit from you and your baby, small blood samples, drinking water samples from your home, and information about you and your baby's medical records. We will use these samples to look at your biological data, which we find in your saliva, blood, and stool to look at your genes and your microbiome, as well as some of the chemicals in your everyday environment. This data will help us understand the unique health experiences of women and children in American Samoa.

31/03/2026

Please join us for Mata'u Faiai's dissertation presentation titled "Understanding the Cardiometabolic Health of Adolescents in American Samoa" 🎓✨

🗓 April 14
🕐 1:00 PM EST (6:00 AM American Samoa time)

This will be a hybrid event — you can attend in person at 47 College St. or join us via Zoom.

We hope to see you there!

31/03/2026

O le a le mea e tupu pe a e auai i le polokalame o le HOPE?
O lenei su’esu’ega e aofia ai asiasiga e lima:
1. Ae le’i fanau
2. Taimi ua fanau ai
3. ina ua 2 masina o le pepe
4. ina ua 4 masina o le pepe
5. ina ua 6 masina o le pepe
Matou te taumafai e fetuunai nei asiasiga uma pe afai ua iai se a*o ua faailoa atu e foma’i mo lau polokalame,pe mafai foi ona matou oo atu i lou maota ma lou laoa,ia poo nisi foi o gaioiga poo fesili e faatino i luga o le telefoni.
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So, what happens if you join the HOPE study?
This study involves five visits:
1. Before birth
2. Right after birth
3. When your baby is 2 months old
4. When your baby is 4 months old
5. And when your baby is 6 months old!
We try to schedule these visits for when you already have doctors appointments, or we can come to your home, or do some activities over the phone.

30/03/2026

Know someone 8-10 weeks pregnant, living in American Samoa 🇦🇸, and interested in being part of an exciting research study? 🌺

Tag them below or share this post so they don’t miss out on the opportunity to participate!

30/03/2026

Na matou fa’aavanoaina nai vaia*o talu ai e talanoa ai e uiga i la matou su’esu’ega i le polokalame o le GROW, ua o’o i le taimi e talanoa ai e uiga i se isi a matou su’esu’ega i le polokalame o le HOPE

O le HOPE o lona uiga o le Taunu’uga o le Soifua Maloloina i le Ma’itaga ma tamaiti laiti,O le faamoemoega o lenei polokalame e tutusa ma le GROW- Matou te fia iloa ma aoaoina pe faapefea ona aafia le soifua maloloina o fafine i le taimi ma le ma’ea o le ma’itaga, faapea foi le soifua maloloina o le tamaiti i Amerika Samoa ma isi atu motu o le pasefika, e na’o e GROW, o le polokalame o le HOPE e faatatau i le gasegase o le s**a i le taimi olel ma’itaga, faatasi ai ma le lapo’a o le tino o le tamaititi ma le ola tuputupua’e
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We have shared in the past weeks about the GROW study and its time to talk about another study called the HOPE study.

HOPE stands for Health Outcomes in Pregnancy and Early Childhood! The purpose of this study is similar to GROW - we want to learn how different factors like our genes, environment, and behavior affect the health of women during and after pregnancy, and also the health of children from American Samoa and other Pacific Islands. Just like GROW, the HOPE study also focuses on gestational diabetes, with an extra focus on child body size and growth!

17/03/2026

O lenei tama’ita’i foma’i, Dr Erin Kershaw, o se tama’ita’i foma’i mo le suesuega o le GROW! Dr Kershaw o se foma’i fapitoa mai le Iuniveiste a Pittsburgh o lo’o ia sailia pe faapefea e le ga’o o le tino ona aafia le soifua maloloina i maua ai le tino p**a, ma’i s**a, ma le tele o le ga’o o le tino. O ia o se Ta’ta’i i le vaega o le Endocronology ma le Metabolism ma o lo’o Ta’ita’ifono mo suesuega o le Tino P**a.

O ona suesuega e sailia ai pe faapefea e musela o le tino ma le kenera ona faagaioia le ola maloloina o tatou Metabolism, o loo ia fesoa*oani i fomai saeanisi ia malamalama i vaega eseese e mafai ona foia ai nei fa’ama’i e pei o le tino p**a, ma le ma’i s**a.
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Next up, we have Dr. Erin Kershaw, a Principal Investigator on GROW! Dr. Kershaw is an endocrinologist and researcher at the University of Pittsburgh who studies how body fat affects metabolism and diseases like obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol. She is Chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism and holds the Endowed Chair for Obesity Research.

Her research explores how fat cells and genes influence metabolic health, helping scientists better understand and treat conditions such as obesity and metabolic disease. Dr. Kershaw is so incredible!

17/03/2026

O lo’o fa’aauau pea le fa’ailoaina o isi o matou ta’ita’i. E matou te fa’afeiloa’i atu i se tasi o matou tama’ita’i foma’i porofesa mo le porokalame o le GROW, Dr. Angela Bengtson!O Dr. Bengtson o le foma’i su’esu’e fa’apitoa mo le soifua maloloina o tina ma pepe (perinatal epidemiologist), ma o lo’o ia ia fa’aatina’eina sue’esu’ega mo le fa’aleleia atili ai le soifua maloloina o itupa teine ma pepe. O lana su’esu’ega e taula’i i le a’afiaga o le fa’ama’i pisia mai feusua’iga (HIV) ma ona togafitiga i le taimi o le maitaga ma pe a uma ona fanau, e mafai iai ona malamalama i ona a’afiaga e uiga i le soifua maloloina patino i le fatu ma le mafaufau o tina. O isi fo’i su’esu’ega o lo’o fa’atupula’ia o le ma’i s**a i le taimi o le maitaga po’o le gestational diabetes, ma le toto maualuga. O ona galuega o lo’o lauiloa i le lalolagi atoa e fesoa*oani e lagolago ai aiga i e aofia ai Malawi ma Saute i Aferika fa’apea fo’i ma nu’u i totonu o le Iunaite Setete e pei o Amerika Samoa ma Atlanta.

Matou te matua fa’afetai tele atu ia Dr. Bengtson!
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Following up with another fearless leader, we have a Principal Investigator of our GROW study, Dr. Angela Bengtson! Dr. Bengtson is a perinatal epidemiologist who studies ways to improve the health of women, mothers, and babies. Her research focuses on how HIV and its treatment affect health during pregnancy and after birth, including impacts on heart health and maternal mental health.

She also studies pregnancy-related conditions like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure. Her work supports families both globally -including Malawi and South Africa- and in U.S. communities such as American Samoa and Atlanta. We are so grateful for Dr. Bengtson!

13/03/2026

Tatou amata mai i se tasi o Ta’ita’i iloga ma le mataalia ,o ia fo’i o le Fa’auluuluga o le Suesuega a le HOPE ma o ia foi ole Ta’ita’i ile vaega o le OLA TUPUTUPU A’E ….. Le Tama’ita’i Foma’i Polofesa ia Nicky Hawley po’o Dr Hawley.

O loo ia galulue faatasi ma le faalapotopotoga i Samoa ma Amerika Samoa e suesueina ma taumfai se auala e foia ai le faama’i o le ma’i s**a, tino p**a, ma isi faamai. O loo ia fesoa*oani e faaleleia soifua maloloina mo le augatupulaga i le lumana’i. O lona matafaioi o lo’o faaautu lea i tina ma’itaga, fanau laiti, aemaise aiga i le ola i le soifua maloloina mai lea augatupulaga i lea augatupulaga.
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Let’s start off with one of our fearless leaders, a Principal Investigator of our GROW and HOPE studies… Dr. Nicky Hawley! Dr.Hawley is an Associate Professor at Yale University and a global expert in maternal and child health. Her research looks at how pregnancy and early childhood shape lifelong health.

She works closely with communities in Samoa and American Samoa to study and prevent diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases, helping improve health for future generations. Her work focuses on helping mothers, babies, and families stay healthy for generations to come. We are so excited to celebrate Dr. Hawley’s commitment and leadership!

12/03/2026

Ua matou fiafia lava ua tatou iai ile masina o Mati, ona o le masina o Mati o se masina taua o le Fa’atauaina lea o Tina o le Lalolagi! O le fatu o a tatou su’esu’ega uma e fa’atatau lea i Tina ma lo latou soifua maloloina, o a tatou galuega uma foi e le mafai ona fa’ataunu’uina pe a aunoa ma outou o Tina le gata i Tinā o lo’o i le tatou vaega nei a’o Tinã foi o tatou sui auai i a tatou su’esu’ega. Fa’atasi mai i le vaia*o fou o le a matou fa’ailoaina atu ai nisi o Tinā na iloga so latou sao ile taumafaiga ma le amataina o lenei fa’amoemoe
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We are so excited that it is March, because March is Women’s History Month! The heart of all of our studies is all about women’s health, and our work wouldn’t be possible without the amazing women on our team and who are a part of our studies. Tune in for the next few weeks as we highlight some of the incredible women who make this happen!

04/03/2026

We are no longer taking applications at this time. Thank you!

Our team is seeking a research assistant in American Samoa 🇦🇸
Please email your CV and any questions to the emails listed.

03/03/2026

Ua galulue fa’atasi la matou ofisa su’esu’e ma le Not Just a Patch, o se fa’apipii fa’apitoa e fesoa*oani e fa’amautu ai lau masini CGM ma fa’ateleina lou mautinoa a’o e fa’aaogāina le CGM. O nisi nei o ata o i latou o loo galulue faatasi mo le polokalame, o le tama’ita’i ia Susie.

Faitau atili e uiga i le matou galulue fa’atasi ai ma le Not Just a Patch i le lomiga o lenei masina o le Yale Public Health Magazine – Science & Society.
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Our lab has collaborated with Not Just a Patch, a patch to support your CGM sensor and make you feel confident! Here are some pictures of our research assistant, Susie, rocking a not just a patch!

Read more about our collaboration with Not Just a Patch in this month’s edition of Yale Public Health Magazine, Science & Society
https://ysph.yale.edu/about-school-of-public-health/communications-public-relations/publications/public-health-magazine/article/translating-science/

Address

Sa Iosia Building
Motootua
96799

Website

http://publichealth.yale.edu/olaga/

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Olaga n. life

Obesity and related cardiometabolic diseases are more prevalent among Pacific Islanders than any other population in the world.

The Obesity, Lifestyle, And Genetic Adaptations (OLAGA; “life” in Samoan) Study Group uses a life course approach to understand the origins of obesity among Samoans and other Pacific Islanders and focuses on developing culturally relevant interventions to reduce the burden of obesity and obesity-related conditions. The initiative is a partnership between Yale University School of Public Health, Brown University School of Public Health (both USA), the Samoan Ministry of Health, and the non-profit organization Lutia I Puava Ae Mapu I Fagalele (LPAMF).

Goals of the Research Group

To conduct epidemiologic research that will serve as the evidence base for developing interventions to prevent obesity