How housing and lending disparities relate to obesity in adults
Official title: Impacts of Racial Disparities in Mortgage Lending Practices on Obesity
Funded at Rand Corporation · NIH-11392730 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant explores how past and present mortgage lending practices in racialized neighborhoods contribute to obesity and cardiometabolic risk, with insights aimed at improving health in affected communities.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rand Corporation NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Santa Monica, United States) |
| Project start | May 15, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $631,006 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HL155187-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392730 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults in communities affected by historic and ongoing housing and lending disparities.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals not exposed to or living in affected neighborhoods may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
The project looks at how neighborhood conditions shaped by housing policies may lead to higher BMI and related health problems. It plans to map long-term pathways from historical redlining and current lending disparities to behaviors like diet and physical activity, and later to obesity outcomes. Researchers aim to identify modifiable environmental mediators and test clinically oriented strategies, such as Food as Medicine, to interrupt these pathways. The study uses longitudinal analyses to connect housing discrimination with health, focusing on adults in affected areas. Participation would involve follow-up data and potentially sharing health information to understand these relationships.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform targeted health interventions and policies to reduce obesity disparities linked to housing and lending practices.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows links between neighborhood conditions and obesity, but this study aims to clarify causal pathways and actionable intervention points.
Where this research is happening
-
Rand Corporation
Santa Monica, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Richardson, Andrea — Rand Corporation
- Study coordinator: Richardson, Andrea
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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.