# An assessment of environmental and neighborhood-level risk factors for subfertility among Black women in the U.S.

> **NIH NIH R01** · BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS · 2024 · $124,471

## Abstract

Project summary
This application for the Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research (PA-23-189)
proposes a research and career development plan to develop the independence of Dr. Brittney Francis
through a study titled, “An exploration of segregation, neighborhood-level contextual factors and maternal
hypertension among Black women in the U.S. using causal inference methods” for the award period of
07/01/24-06/30/26 to enhance the parent grant, “An assessment of environmental and neighborhood-level risk
factors for subfertility among Black women in the U.S.” (R01-ES035053; PI- Dr. Amelia Wesselink). The
proposed supplement study will conduct a secondary analysis using causal mediation methods with the
overarching goal of examining the complex association between racial residential segregation, neighborhood
level contextual factors, and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) in the Black Women’s Health Study
(BWHS). HDP is an important public health problem for many reasons. A person impacted by an HDP is more
likely to experience other maternal complications and adverse sequalae associated with them which has
immediate and long-term health impacts across an individual’s lifecourse and their offspring. This study will use
existing (through parent grant) and new data linkages to the BWHS to specifically examine food access and
exposure to environmental toxins as mediators between the relationship of racial and economic segregation
and HDPs among Black women. This proposed diversity supplement will significantly contribute to furthering
our understanding of the role of structural racism in shaping risk of maternal HDP and points of intervention
that can decrease the health inequities we see for Black women on a population level. This proposed research
is critical, timely and can be translated to impact current policy decisions about neighborhood infrastructure
and development that will advance reproductive health equity, promote reproductive justice, create safe and
healthy neighborhoods, and reduce the costs due to health disparities in this country.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11020278
- **Project number:** 3R01ES035053-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** BOSTON UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Amelia Kent Wesselink
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $124,471
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-04-10 → 2028-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11020278

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11020278, An assessment of environmental and neighborhood-level risk factors for subfertility among Black women in the U.S. (3R01ES035053-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11020278. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*