How childhood socioeconomic conditions affect health throughout life
Official title: Epigenetic Pathways of Socioeconomic Disparities in Physical and Cognitive Health Across the Lifespan
Funded at University of Texas at Austin · NIH-11159445 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how growing up in low-income families affects kids' health over time, and it wants to see if giving cash support to mothers can help improve their children's health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $570,139 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD114724-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11159445 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include children from low-income households and their mothers.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not come from low-income backgrounds may not receive direct benefits from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the long-term effects of growing up in low-income households on physical and cognitive health. It aims to understand how childhood environments influence health outcomes across a person's lifespan by examining DNA methylation patterns as a biological link. By integrating these biological markers into a randomized controlled trial, the study will explore whether providing unconditional cash transfers to low-income mothers can improve health outcomes for their children. This approach seeks to provide real-time insights into the impact of socioeconomic factors on health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to effective interventions that improve health outcomes for children from low-income families.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promise in using DNA methylation as a tool for understanding health disparities, but this specific approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harden, Kathryn Paige — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Harden, Kathryn Paige
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.