Childhood hardship, health, and parenting among young adults in Malawi
Adversities, Health and Resilience in Early Adulthood: An intergenerational, low-income country study
This project follows young adults in Malawi and their families to learn how difficult childhood experiences shape sexual, reproductive, and mental health and how those effects carry into the next generation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University New York Stony Brook NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stony Brook, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11194471 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you are a young adult who grew up in Malawi, this project follows you, your partner, and your children over time to see how childhood hardships affect health and parenting. The team will do a new round of interviews and health- and fertility-related questionnaires with the existing MLSFH-ACE cohort, plus data from partners and children. Researchers will link reported adverse childhood experiences to current sexual, reproductive, and mental health (SRMH) and to outcomes in the next generation. The goal is to identify patterns that could point to ways to support families and reduce harm.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are young adults from the MLSFH-ACE cohort in Malawi (and their partners and children), especially those who experienced childhood adversity.
Not a fit: People living outside the Malawi communities covered by the MLSFH-ACE cohort, or those not part of the original cohort, are unlikely to be able to participate or receive direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could guide better programs and policies to improve sexual, reproductive, and mental health care and parenting support for young adults and their children in Malawi.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier MLSFH research and other longitudinal studies have linked adverse childhood experiences to adult health, but direct evidence on intergenerational effects in low-income African settings is still relatively limited.
Where this research is happening
Stony Brook, United States
- State University New York Stony Brook — Stony Brook, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kidman, Rachel — State University New York Stony Brook
- Study coordinator: Kidman, Rachel
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 below.