Building Community Health Workers’ Capacity to Support Parents with Young Children in Kenya
Official title: Implementing SafeCare Kenya to Reduce Noncommunicable Disease Burden: Building Community Health Workers' Capacity to Support Parents with Young Children
Funded at Pacific University · NIH-11474064 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project in Kenya trains and supports Community Health Workers to help parents of young children prevent and reduce risk factors for noncommunicable diseases.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Pacific University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Forest Grove, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $135,876 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD112043-04S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11474064 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are parents or caregivers of children aged 0-11 in Kenya who receive support from CHW services.
✕Less likely to help
Some families may not experience measurable benefit if they have barriers to engagement or if local contexts differ from the study settings.
What this research studies
This project focuses on empowering local Community Health Workers in Kenya to use proven parenting strategies to prevent childhood adversity and related health problems. It will test how CHWs can deliver preventive guidance and support to families, with attention to sustainable, scalable implementation. The effort aims to produce practical methods that could be used in other settings with similar resource levels and high need. The study emphasizes real-world delivery, working within existing Kenyan health networks to measure how well the approach reduces risk factors for later NCDs.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, families could benefit from improved parenting skills and reduced adversity, potentially lowering future risk of NCDs for children and adolescents.
How similar studies have gone: Prior work suggests CHW-based parenting interventions can improve child outcomes in similar settings, though the exact implementation details may vary.
Where this research is happening
-
Pacific University
Forest Grove, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shanley, Jenelle R — Pacific University
- Study coordinator: Shanley, Jenelle R
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How parents' public work programs affect children's health and learning in LMICs
A study will look at how families' participation in government cash-for-work programs influences kids’ health, education, and well-being in several low- and middle-income countries.
-
How parents' participation in public work programs may affect children's health and education in low- and middle-income countries
A study at Duke University will look at how families in poor countries who join public work programs might influence their children’s health, schooling, and well-being.
-
PREEMIE PROGRESS: a family program to help parents of very preterm babies
A family-centered program that teaches parents how to care for very preterm infants, offers psychosocial support, and connects families with resources to address social needs.
-
Culturally tailored Youth Mental Health First Aid for Asian American Parents
A program helps Asian American parents learn how to recognize and respond to their teens’ mental health signs in a culturally respectful way.
-
Information and social media use for autism info in young children
A research project looks at how speech-language pathologists and parents of young autistic children use social media for information and what makes that information trustworthy.
-
Good Nights Sleep for Kids and Parents
A randomized trial at a US university to help families with 0-11 year olds sleep better by improving sleep habits and the sleep environment, especially in low-income households.
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.