How housing instability and neighborhood hardship affect maternal health
The effect of HOusing instability and neighborhood deprivation on Maternal hEalth-HOME
This work looks at how unstable housing and deprived neighborhoods influence the physical and mental health of pregnant and postpartum people, especially Black birthing families in Milwaukee.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Medical College of Wisconsin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Milwaukee, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11137763 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you join this work, researchers will follow pregnant people through the 2nd and 3rd trimesters and after birth to record housing situations, neighborhood conditions, and health outcomes. They will use surveys, medical record data, and biological stress markers (allostatic load) to link housing instability and neighborhood deprivation with maternal physical and mental health. The team will compare those with stable housing to those experiencing instability or homelessness and consider local services that affect stability. Findings will be used to suggest programs and policy changes to reduce disparities in maternal and infant outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant people in their 2nd or 3rd trimester living in the Milwaukee area, particularly low-income and Black birthing people experiencing housing instability or homelessness.
Not a fit: People who have stable housing or who live outside the Milwaukee area are less likely to directly benefit from participation in this effort.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help shape programs and policies that reduce housing instability and improve maternal and infant health for low-income and Black families in Milwaukee.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked housing and neighborhood disadvantage to worse maternal outcomes, but interventions focused specifically on housing stability during pregnancy remain limited, so this work builds on existing evidence while addressing a less-tested area.
Where this research is happening
Milwaukee, United States
- Medical College of Wisconsin — Milwaukee, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dickson-Gomez, Julia B — Medical College of Wisconsin
- Study coordinator: Dickson-Gomez, Julia B
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.