Helping families break cycles of stress and improve parenting across generations
Official title: Intervention Impacts on Child Wellbeing and Parenting across Generations
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11181155 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether helping parents now leads to better parenting by their children later and healthier outcomes for grandchildren.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2017 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,006,630 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD093651-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11181155 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are parents or caregivers who have experienced family stress, instability, food insecurity, or aggression, particularly people from the original Great Smoky Mountains Study cohorts or their children.
✕Less likely to help
People without parenting responsibilities or those who do not live in or descend from the study communities are unlikely to gain direct benefit from participating.
What this research studies
This project follows people who grew up in families with high stress, violence, food insecurity, or parental substance and mental health problems and now are parenting their own children. Researchers compare those who received supports (like an income supplement) or parenting-focused interventions to see how those early supports affect parenting and child health across three generations. The team uses long-term data from the Great Smoky Mountains Study, including participants from 11 North Carolina counties and members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee. They measure family warmth, aggression, stability, food security, and mental health in parents and their children over time.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show that targeted supports for parents reduce family stress and improve parenting and child health across generations.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show income supplements and parenting programs can improve child behavior and wellbeing, but strong evidence about lasting effects across multiple generations is limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lansford, Jennifer E — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Lansford, Jennifer E
Related research
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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.