Current Research
Current Research
1. ECHO: We are currently working with other studies across the country in the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) project with the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
2. Air Quality Study: In partnership with Salt Lake County and University of Utah Health, Dr. Daniel Mendoza, CEO of AQEHS Corp, and Scott Collingwood, University of Utah Health Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and ECHO team member, are working with families enrolled in the Utah Children’s Project and the Green and Healthy Homes initiative in the Salt Lake Valley to monitor PM 2.5, ozone, and radon within their homes.
3. Perinatal to Preconception Outcomes (PPO) Study: Couples who are planning on becoming pregnant are enrolled to gain a greater understanding of how environmental exposures from before, during and after pregnancy can impact the health and development of children.
ECHO Publications Website
Read about all the most up-to-date ECHO research here, much of which is using or will use data from the UCP.
You can also follow ECHO research on social media by following @ECHOChildHealth on Twitter.
Recent ECHO Publications
Children Born in Lower-Opportunity Neighborhoods Had Higher Rates of Asthma with Recurrent Exacerbations (2025)
Big Idea: The Child Opportunity Index (COI) measures neighborhood conditions like access to housing, healthy food, transportation, and education. ECHO researchers found that children born in neighborhoods with low COIs had higher incidence rates of asthma with recurrent exacerbations, especially in children 2-4 years old or those who had a parent with asthma.
Read the full article here.
Strong Friendships Matter More than Time Spent on Social Media for Adolescent Mental Health (2025)
Big Idea: Survey data from over 900 teenagers across the United States showed that high-quality peer relationships were the strongest predictor of teen well-being, even at similar levels of social media use compared to teens reporting poor quality relationships.
Read the full article here.
Amount of Time Spent in Childcare Not Associated with Mental Health Risks in Young Children, Including Those Facing Family Challenges (2024)
Big Idea: Children with higher exposure to factors such as family stress and mental illness were found to be more likely to have higher levels of internalizing symptoms (like anxiety or depression) and externalizing symptoms (such as aggression and hyperactivity), especially if their families also faced socioeconomic hardship. However, the number of hours spent in childhood did not significantly improve or worsen symptoms.
Read the full article here.
ECHO Cohort Study Finds No Significant Associations Between Prenatal Dietary Patterns and ASD Diagnosis (2024)
Big Idea: The Healthy Eating Index (HEI) and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index modified for Pregnancy (AHEI-P) were used to study 6,000 mother-child pairs from 14 ECHO Cohort Study Sites. While higher pregnancy diet quality was associated with decreased ASD-related traits in children, there was no significant relationship with ASD diagnosis.
Read the full article here.
Association of Early Childhood Phthalate Exposures with ADHD Behaviors in Childhood and Adolescence (2024)
Big Idea: Phthalates are widely used chemicals found in many everyday items such as food packaging, flooring, medical supplies, and cosmetics. When these chemicals enter the body, they are converted into smaller molecules, called metabolites. Among children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), one metabolite was associated with more ADHD behaviors. Another metabolite was associated with hyperactive and impulsive behaviors in children. Urine samples from children and survey responses regarding ADHD symptoms were utilized in this analysis.
Read the full article here.
Footnote: Results reported here are for single studies. Other or future studies may provide new information or different results. You should not make changes to your health without first consulting your healthcare professional.