What affects eczema (atopic dermatitis) in adults living in a city neighborhood
Official title: Atopic dermatitis in an urban adult population: identifying the role of social and environmental factors
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11323015 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will follow racially and ethnically diverse adults with eczema in a North Philadelphia neighborhood to learn how housing, neighborhood, and social factors relate to skin symptoms and quality of life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $611,733 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AR080039-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11323015 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults (age 21 and older) who currently have atopic dermatitis and live in or near the North Philadelphia neighborhood, especially people from Black and other underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Children, people without atopic dermatitis, or adults who live far from the Philadelphia area are unlikely to be eligible or to benefit directly from participating.
What this research studies
This project will create a group of adults with atopic dermatitis who live in a socioeconomically disadvantaged, medically underserved area of North Philadelphia. Participants will be asked about their skin symptoms, quality of life, housing conditions, neighborhood experiences, stress, and health care use, and researchers will combine that information with medical records and neighborhood data. The team will look for links between social and environmental factors (like housing, pollution, or access to care) and how severe eczema is or how much it affects daily life. The goal is to explain racial and ethnic differences in adult eczema outcomes and guide future programs to reduce those disparities.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to social or neighborhood changes and tailored care approaches that reduce eczema burden and narrow racial disparities.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies—mainly in children—have linked social and environmental factors to eczema, but adult-focused, racially diverse urban cohorts like this are less common.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Takeshita, Junko — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Takeshita, Junko
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Stopping Atopic Dermatitis and Allergy: Preventing Food Allergy by Protecting the Skin
A large study in infants at high risk for allergies tests whether using a skin barrier cream together with early, proactive skin care can prevent peanut allergy and other food allergies.
-
SEAL Study: Preventing peanut allergy by protecting baby skin
This trial tests whether using a skin-emollient and proactive skin steroids early in life can prevent peanut allergy in high-risk infants.
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SEAL Study: Prevent allergy by protecting the baby’s skin
A very young group of high-risk babies will try a early skin-care plan to reduce eczema and prevent peanut allergy.
-
Understanding how skin fungi affect atopic dermatitis in adults
A study will look at how the skin's fungal community influences atopic dermatitis in adults and whether this understanding could lead to new treatments.
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Preventing eczema-related allergies by strengthening infants' skin barrier
This project will see if using a trilipid skin cream plus proactive mild topical steroids in infants with early dry skin or eczema lowers their chances of developing food allergies.
-
Personalized predictions for how atopic dermatitis may progress in kids and teens
A patient-friendly plan to forecast how early-onset eczema might evolve in children and young people using simple health clues and data from diverse settings.
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.