Agricultural livelihoods to improve health for pregnant women with HIV in Kenya
Official title: Randomized controlled trial of an agricultural livelihood intervention to improve maternal and newborn health and nutrition in Kenya
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11514204 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A pregnancy-starting program in Kenya tests whether helping families grow food and earn income can improve the health and nutrition of mothers and their babies, especially for women living with HIV.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2026 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $82,000 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD116651-02S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11514204 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant women in rural Kenya, including those living with HIV, who experience food insecurity and rely on small-scale farming.
✕Less likely to help
Women without food insecurity or those not engaged in farming activities may see little benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests an agricultural livelihood intervention started in early pregnancy to see if it can improve birth outcomes and infant growth in a rural Kenyan setting where HIV is common. It also explores how to best implement the farming support during the perinatal period, considering challenges like rainfall and irrigation. The study involves random assignment to the intervention and usual care, collecting data on maternal health, infant growth, and nutrition. By focusing on women with and without HIV, the project aims to understand scalability and real-world impact in sub-Saharan Africa.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could reduce food insecurity and improve maternal and infant health through better nutrition and livelihoods.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest livelihoods interventions can improve livelihoods and nutrition, but pregnancy-specific and HIV-focused effects are underexplored.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Cohen, Craig R — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Cohen, Craig R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Agricultural livelihood support for pregnant women and newborns in Kenya
Compares agricultural livelihood support to usual care to help pregnant women in Kenya—including those living with HIV—have better nutrition and healthier newborns.
-
Farming support for pregnant women in rural Kenya to improve mother and newborn nutrition
This project offers farming support to pregnant women in rural Kenya to try to improve mothers' nutrition and newborns' health.
-
Improving maternal and newborn health through agricultural support in Kenya
This study is looking at how helping pregnant women with HIV in Kenya improve their farming can lead to better health and nutrition for both them and their babies, especially by tackling food shortages during pregnancy.
-
Cognitive behavioral therapy and trazodone for insomnia phenotypes with high blood pressure
A clinical study tests how CBT-I and the sleep drug trazodone work for adults with insomnia and high blood pressure, focusing on a specific sleep duration pattern.
-
Adaptive e-learning and smartphones to improve newborn and child care in Tanzania
A new program uses smart devices and tailored online learning to help frontline health workers in Mwanza, Tanzania provide better care for newborns and young children.
-
NoviGuide for Newborn Care in Pakistan
A small NIH grant to test a pocket-sized decision support tool for nurses and doctors to improve newborn care in Pakistan.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.