PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY HOBBINS FAMILY
One study enrolls pregnant women with asthma and follows up with them before and after delivery to examine factors that may predict the development of asthma in children . Another project observes kids to see how the severity of their asthma is affected by different factors .
In one of its most far-reaching asthma projects , the Hassenfeld Institute and the leaders of the Asthma Initiative , Elizabeth McQuaid , PhD , and Daphne Koinis-Mitchell , PhD , partnered with state health care leaders to develop the Rhode Island Asthma Integrated Response Program . After identifying children with asthma living in high-risk areas and referring them to science-backed treatment programs at home and school , they ’ re studying whether the kids fare better as a result of participating . In 2017 , the researchers received $ 8 million from the National Heart , Lung , and Blood Institute to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in 16 communities over six years .
COMMUNITIES UNITE TO HELP KIDS
Another critical Hassenfeld focus has been addressing obesity , one of the most serious chronic health issues in America today . The Healthy Weight , Nutrition , and Fitness Initiative , led by Elissa Jelalian , PhD , Erika Werner , MD , and Rena Wing , PhD , partners with communities and the nonprofit Providence Community Health Centers to deliver programs to kids at risk of being overweight or obese .
One community partner is the Providence Healthy Communities Office ’ s Eat , Play , Learn program , which provides healthy food , outdoor play , enrichment programs , and jobs during the summer . In 2020 , the Hassenfeld Institute awarded the program $ 10,000 to expand via in-person and online programming .
Kaitlyn Rabb , MPH , worked with the team to investigate obesity interventions in low-income communities and help the Providence Healthy Communities Office strengthen their health promotion programs . “ The organization offers summer meal kits to the kids who would usually get free or reduced lunch at school ,” she says . “ The twist is that we ’ re handing out the kits at parks . Research has found that having activities to engage students increases their participation in these sites . So we ’ re creating enrichment activities to get them interested — and , as a bonus , get them moving .”
Vivier says that while the Autism , Asthma , and Healthy Weight , Nutrition , and Fitness initiatives are already making a difference for Rhode Island kids , they are a starting point .
“ In five years , we ’ ve been able to establish and take advantage of the breadth of the Hassenfeld study and our core data set while also digging deep into those three critical issues ,” Vivier says . “ We ’ ve been able to focus our impact . In the future , we ’ re looking forward to expanding beyond these areas . This is just the beginning .” HD
A Living Laboratory
In Rhode Island , 80 percent of pregnant women deliver their babies at Women & Infants Hospital . Nearby Hasbro Children ’ s Hospital handles 9 out of 10 pediatric hospitalizations in the state . Bradley Hospital is devoted to child and adolescent mental health .
To build on the opportunity offered by that continuity of care , the Hassenfeld Child Health Innovation Institute at Brown launched a long-term study of pregnant women and their babies . The Hassenfeld Study ’ s prenatal cohort gathers data from women in their first or second trimester and follows them until after delivery ; the postnatal cohort focuses on women after delivery . Participants agree to share demographic information , provide saliva and blood samples , and complete regular surveys about their health .
More than 1,000 women have enrolled so far , yielding a treasure trove of data that enables researchers to look for patterns and make predictions about maternal and child health . For example : what factors that affect pregnant women with asthma ( such as stress , diet , sleep , and genetics ) may predict the development of asthma in their children ? What newborn behaviors may be related to developmental delays ? Are babies born in a certain ZIP code more likely to experience a specific health issue ?
“ The Hassenfeld Study is a rich source of data that can be used to answer important questions as well as seed additional studies on pressing child health issues ,” Patrick Vivier says .
When the Rhode Island Community Food Bank wanted to learn more about the people they served ( a quarter of whom are children ), institute researchers designed a survey , trained volunteers to administer it , and then analyzed results . They learned that 45 percent of respondents had significant health-related issues .
“ The 2019 hunger survey provided a much more detailed portrait of the families for whom our programs are structured ,” says Andrew Schiff , CEO of the food bank . “ It changed in a profound way our sense of responsibility for making sure we were providing the healthiest possible food to our patrons and also that we continue to collaborate with health care providers .”
In a 2020 survey , 70 percent of mothers enrolled in the Hassenfeld Study reported higher stress levels compared to before the pandemic , while 19 percent of children had missed in-person doctor ’ s appointments . Based on these findings , the institute offered webinars on topics like wellness routines for kids during COVID .
The study data shouldn ’ t only be useful to research partners , Vivier says : “ We try to make this information available as soon as possible to advise , reassure , and guide families across the state — and beyond .” — Corrie Pikul
Jillian Hobbins , here with her husband ,
Adam , and their fraternal triplet boys are enrolled in the Hassenfeld Study .
22 HEALTH DISCOVERIES l WINTER 2022