Modeling the causes of severe pregnancy complications for Black women in North Texas

Complex Systems Approaches to Advance Maternal Health Research and Prevention: Developing a System Dynamics Simulation Model of Severe Maternal Morbidity among Black Women in North Texas.

NIH-funded research University of Texas Arlington · NIH-11159443

This project builds a computer simulation that maps how medical, social, and community factors contribute to severe pregnancy complications for Black women in North Texas.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of Texas Arlington NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Arlington, United States)
Project IDNIH-11159443 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

You and other community members, clinicians, and researchers will work together in guided workshops to map the many social and medical factors that lead to severe maternal complications among non-Hispanic Black women in North Texas. Those maps will be turned into a system dynamics simulation — a computer model that shows how these factors interact and change over time. The team will use local data and expert input to calibrate the model and test how different prevention actions might change outcomes. The model is meant to highlight which combination of actions could most meaningfully reduce severe maternal morbidity in your community.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants are non-Hispanic Black women of reproductive age in North Texas who are willing to share their experiences or take part in group model-building workshops.

Not a fit: People who are not Black, not in North Texas, or who need immediate medical treatment rather than planning or prevention work are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to the most effective prevention strategies to reduce severe pregnancy complications among Black women in North Texas.

How similar studies have performed: System dynamics and group model-building have been used in public health and sometimes in maternal health to guide policy and prevention, but applying these methods specifically to severe maternal morbidity among Black women in North Texas is a newer approach.

Where this research is happening

Arlington, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-10 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.