Improving breast health in high-poverty neighborhoods
Pathways to Improving Breast Health Outcomes in Neighborhoods with Concentrated Poverty
This project looks at how neighborhood poverty affects late breast cancer diagnosis and deaths and aims to find community changes and policies that help women get diagnosed earlier and live longer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Memphis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11397688 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you live in a high-poverty neighborhood, this project links state cancer registry and death records with neighborhood and Census data to see where late diagnoses and deaths are more common. Researchers will hold focus groups and interviews with breast cancer survivors, city planners, and policymakers in Memphis to hear local experiences and decisions that shape care. They will combine the numbers with people's stories to identify community factors and policy actions that can be changed. The goal is to point local leaders and health systems toward steps that reduce late-stage diagnosis and lower mortality.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Women living in high-poverty neighborhoods—especially breast cancer survivors or those at risk in the Memphis area—are the ideal participants for interviews, focus groups, or related outreach.
Not a fit: People who do not have breast cancer or who live outside the areas analyzed (for example, outside Tennessee) may not receive direct benefits from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to targeted community programs and policy changes that help women in poor neighborhoods be diagnosed earlier and have better survival.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked neighborhood poverty to worse breast cancer outcomes, but this mixed-methods, policy-focused study centered on Memphis is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
Memphis, United States
- University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr — Memphis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: White-Means, Shelley — University of Tennessee Health Sci Ctr
- Study coordinator: White-Means, Shelley
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.