EDITOR’S NOTE: This statewide study by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is open to pregnant women living anywhere in Arkansas, including Jonesboro and Craighead County. The first phase of participation is conducted virtually via Zoom; local residents can participate from home and receive up to $225 in gift card compensation. Full details below.
Little Rock, AR – Jonesboro Right Now – Researchers at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences are seeking to better understand heat-related risks and factors associated with pregnancy.
As part of the UAMS Institute for Community Health Innovation’s Maternal and Reproductive Community Health (MaRCH) Center, researchers are looking for women living in Arkansas who are pregnant between now and October to participate in the study.
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Participants will complete a 60-minute virtual interview via Zoom about their experiences with heat, staying cool, and daily challenges they face related to summer weather.
“Arkansas summers are hot and getting hotter,” said Rachel Hale, Ph.D., an assistant professor with the UAMS Department of Environmental Health Sciences in the Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health. “For pregnant women, extreme heat isn’t just uncomfortable; it can be dangerous, raising the risk of things like early labor, dehydration, and heat exhaustion. “There isn’t a lot of research on how pregnant women in Arkansas deal with our heat day to day, how they stay cool, what challenges they run into, and what kind of support would help.”
Select participants will be invited to join Phase 2 of the study, which involves wearing a small temperature and humidity sensor for two weeks and completing short daily surveys. The sensor does not track location and only measures environmental conditions.
“By talking directly with pregnant Arkansans and, for some participants, tracking real heat and humidity conditions where they live, we hope to get a clearer picture of what pregnant women in our state are really facing during the hottest months,” Hale said. “The goal is simple: use what’s learned to shape better guidance and support for moms-to-be across Arkansas, especially as summers continue to get hotter. This is a chance for Arkansas women to have their voices and experiences directly inform research that could help future moms in their own communities.”
To be eligible for the study, women must be 18 years or older, live in Arkansas, have access to a smartphone, and be pregnant between now and October. Participants who complete the virtual interview will receive a $50 gift card.
If participants join and complete Phase 2 of the study, they can receive up to an additional $175 in gift card compensation. To express interest in participating in the study, visit redcap.link/heatandpregnancystudy or email Hale at RBHale@uams.edu.
Awarded by the National Institutes of Health’s Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE), the MaRCH Center supports researchers in developing innovative, practical solutions to improve maternal health across Arkansas.
The center focuses on building strong research programs, expanding access to effective interventions, and supporting early-stage investigators as they develop the skills and experience needed for their research careers.
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