# Housing, Environment, And Living Conditions for Transformed Health (HEALTHe Birmingham)

> **NIH NIH U01** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2024 · $749,634

## Abstract

Abstract
Disparities in lung disease and other chronic conditions between poor, mostly Black residents of public housing
communities and the general population are profound, leading to an extraordinary human and economic
burden. Rooted in structural inequalities, these disparities are exacerbated by the conditions of daily life,
including housing and neighborhood physical (built) and social environment. Together, adverse housing and
neighborhood conditions increase disease risk through multiple pathways, including behavioral and biological.
Despite compelling evidence of the health effects of neighborhoods, few interventions have examined the
extent to which specific modifications of housing and neighborhood conditions improve health outcomes. The
proposed study, Housing, Environment, And Living Conditions for Transformed Health (HEALTHe
Birmingham), aims to fill this research gap. Taking advantage of a major investment by federal and local
government, businesses, and organizations, we will evaluate, in a natural experiment, the health effects of a
comprehensive intervention that addresses multiple social determinants of health (SDoH): public housing
quality and features of the neighborhood built and social environments (Aim 1). Recognizing that major
community revitalization efforts are not always possible, to generate solutions that are potentially more feasible
and have wider reach, we also will conduct a prospective trial to determine whether less-expensive
improvements, such as indoor air purification, can positively impact lung health in public housing sites not
undergoing housing renovation, comparing a site exposed to industrial pollution vs one less contaminated
(Aim 2). To bolster the public health and policy implications of this research, we will conduct cost-effectiveness
analyses from economic and societal perspectives and use implementation science to prioritize intervention
strategies, recommend scale-up efforts across communities and contexts, and inform policy on federal and
local levels. We also will assess the extent to which specific components impact health equity between
intervention and control communities (Aim 3). Study findings will facilitate translation of SDoH interventions
into practice, inform public policy across locations and contexts, and contribute to the evidence base of
reducing health inequity through action on SDoH.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11060436
- **Project number:** 1U01NR021591-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** Lori Brand Bateman
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $749,634
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-09-23 → 2025-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11060436

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11060436, Housing, Environment, And Living Conditions for Transformed Health (HEALTHe Birmingham) (1U01NR021591-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11060436. Licensed CC0.

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