Exploring how racial bias in communities affects birth outcomes.
Risk and strength: determining the impact of area-level racial bias and protective factors on birth outcomes.
This study looks at how racial bias in communities affects things like preterm births and low birth weight, and it aims to find ways to improve these outcomes for expectant parents and their babies by understanding and tracking changes in bias over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-10999382 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This research investigates the impact of racial bias at the community level on birth outcomes such as preterm birth and low birth weight. By utilizing online and social media data alongside machine learning techniques, the study aims to create measures of area-level racial bias and assess how these biases influence adverse birth outcomes. The research team, composed of experts in various fields, will also identify protective factors that may mitigate these negative outcomes. The study will track changes in racial bias over time and correlate these changes with birth outcomes across different regions in the United States.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are pregnant individuals, particularly those from racial and ethnic minority groups, living in areas with varying levels of racial bias.
Not a fit: Patients who are not pregnant or those living in areas with minimal racial bias may not benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding and interventions to reduce racial disparities in birth outcomes.
How similar studies have performed: While the role of individual-level risk factors in birth outcomes is well-documented, the specific focus on area-level racial bias is a novel approach that has not been extensively tested in this context.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nguyen, Thu — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Nguyen, Thu
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.