The Pittsburgh Study

The Pittsburgh Study is a community-partnered research initiative to find out what works to help children and youth thrive. The Study will follow children in Allegheny County from before birth through high school. Our goal is to find ways to give children the support they need to achieve their academic goals and be healthy and thriving. Our hope is that by bringing together best practices and community assets, we will develop programs and policies to promote child health equity and improve children’s lives – in Pittsburgh and beyond.

Pregnant women, parents, babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and children of elementary, middle, and high school age can join the Study.

This is the largest community-partnered, intervention study to follow children over time. The Study will identify strengths in children, families, schools, and neighborhoods. We will measure health and social influences on child well-being. Neighborhood pride, diverse community groups, and robust research ability make Pittsburgh ideal for a study to advance child thriving.

Many community organizations and partners are collaborating on the Study, including Healthy Start, UrbanKind Institute, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and the University of Pittsburgh. Community members are encouraged to join scientific groups to design, guide, and evaluate the Study.