Ama Bidziil: Strengthening AI mothers’ health with community doulas
Official title: Ama Bidziil (Strong Mothers): Advancing American Indian Maternal Health through Community-Based Doula Support
Funded at Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11423649 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A Johns Hopkins-led project will explore how AI community doulas affect maternal health for American Indian women in rural Navajo communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 26, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $611,704 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NR021951-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11423649 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
American Indian women in rural Navajo communities who are pregnant or recently postpartum and receiving perinatal care.
✕Less likely to help
Women outside AI communities or without access to AI doula support may not experience the same benefits.
What this research studies
This project partners with Navajo communities in Arizona to understand how doula support influences maternal health outcomes. It uses community-engaged methods and AI-informed protective factors to guide care during perinatal, delivery, and postpartum periods. The study aims to look at care guidelines, mood and anxiety symptoms, breastfeeding, and labor experiences to see how doulas can improve outcomes for AI mothers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve access to culturally aligned perinatal care and reduce mood disorders and adverse birth experiences for AI mothers.
How similar studies have gone: Prior partnerships and community-based approaches have shown promise in improving maternal support and engagement in AI communities, though this exact doula-focused model is being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Richards, Jennifer Rai — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Richards, Jennifer Rai
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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.