How financial stress and opportunities shape oral health in young adults
Official title: Economic Stressors and Opportunities as Influences of Emerging Adult Oral Health
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11314586 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will track people moving from adolescence into adulthood to see how money, schooling, work, and behavior affect their dental and overall health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $647,819 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DE033953-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11314586 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are emerging adults (roughly ages 18–25) from diverse socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds who are transitioning in education, work, or living situations.
✕Less likely to help
People well past the emerging adult stage or those seeking immediate dental treatment rather than contributing to long-term research may not directly benefit from participation.
What this research studies
You would join a group of young people who are followed over time as they move into adulthood. The team will collect detailed information about economic circumstances, social supports, and daily behaviors while doing dental and general health checks. They will compare experiences across race, ethnicity, and gender identity to find the specific pathways that link socioeconomic factors to oral disease. The study aims to identify points when supports like education or economic opportunity could help prevent cavities and gum or oral disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could reveal specific social or behavioral supports during emerging adulthood that help prevent long-term oral diseases.
How similar studies have gone: Some prior studies have linked socioeconomic factors to oral health, but few have prospectively followed emerging adults with detailed economic and behavioral measures, so this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chaffee, Benjamin W — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Chaffee, Benjamin W
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Coordinated Oral Health Promotion for Chicago Kids
A long-running study in Chicago is following children and their caregivers to find ways to reduce tooth decay and improve daily life for families.
-
Digital adolescent dental health program to reduce tooth decay in at-risk youth
A digital program designed for lower-income 7th and 8th graders to help them avoid tobacco use and sugary drinks to lower the risk of tooth decay.
-
Improving how schools deliver tooth care for kids using existing data
This project analyzes past school-based dental care data to help more underserved children get effective, affordable preventive treatment.
-
Host genetics and oral microbiome: big-data clues to oral health
A large study will combine human genetics, saliva bacteria, and health records to understand why oral diseases like cavities and gum disease occur in different people.
-
Understanding dry mouth in adults using AI to read electronic records
A new project uses AI to find adults with xerostomia in medical records and predict who will have worse oral health outcomes.
-
Oral health effects of buprenorphine and methadone in people with opioid use disorder
This project will explore how common MOUD medicines like buprenorphine (including dissolvable forms) and methadone may affect oral health in people with opioid use disorder.
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.