BOWLING GREEN — As Ohio’s infant mortality rate continues to rank among the worst in the nation, Bowling Green State University researchers are exploring how removing transportation barriers for new and expectant mothers could improve newborn health.

BGSU, in conjunction with the University’s Center for Regional Development (CRD), is partnering with ProMedica and the Hospital Council of Northwest Ohio on the project, which is being funded by a $250,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Third Frontier Research Incentives.

The research will examine the experiences of Toledo-area mothers, but the study has the potential to impact policies statewide.

“We know causes of infant mortality are complex and multifaceted, from policy structures to institutional and individual decisions made by healthcare providers and patients,” said Justin Rex, an associate professor in the BGSU Department of Political Science and research fellow with the CRD. “We also know from previous research that a major social determinant of health is reliable access to transportation.”

Rex and Nichole Fifer, director of the CRD, are leading the study. BGSU sophomore Anna McCray, a political science major, is supporting the project as an undergraduate research assistant with the CRD, gaining valuable experience for her future career as an urban planner.

BGSU empowers students to maximize their education through experiential learning, including undergraduate research, which bolsters their credentials and career readiness. BGSU is ranked the No. 1 public university in Ohio for student experience and career preparation.

“This opportunity is giving me a head start,” McCray said. “This is what grad students and doctoral candidates do sometimes for the first time at that level. I’m learning and experiencing this in my second year of college alongside experts like Dr. Rex and Dr. Fifer, who have done this throughout their careers. I can see myself in them, and that’s so inspiring.”

This is Rex's and Fifer’s third study on improving infant vitality. In previous studies, mothers and healthcare providers cited transportation as a significant barrier to accessing proper medical care.

In the new study titled “Transportation Access as a Pathway to Infant Vitality,” one group of mothers will receive a $200 monthly gift card for Lyft. Another group will receive a cash benefit in the same amount as the rideshare gift card.

Few studies exist on rideshares and access to perinatal care. Rex said the BGSU study could contribute valuable data to better understand the strengths and limitations of rideshare companies’ ability to address transportation needs as medical systems across the country are testing out these partnerships.

Alternatively, providing unrestricted money to mitigate the challenges of poverty has been widely documented as a successful intervention for all types of individuals, including mothers in the United States and the world.

Rex said providing one group with unrestricted funds allows the mothers to use the money for their most urgent needs, such as repairing a personal vehicle or needs unrelated to transportation.

“Knowing how these funds are used can help us identify potential unmet transportation needs as well as how transportation needs rank compared to other needs they have,” Rex said.

Participants will be interviewed monthly throughout the six-month study, which is expected to conclude in the summer.

McCray, who developed an interest in urban planning in high school, said this research project has strengthened her commitment to the field and the pursuit of reducing poverty through innovative strategies.

“Whether or not you have access to reliable transportation changes the freedom and power these women have over their pregnancies,” McCray said. “That’s why this study is so impactful. We’re able to open a door, see its effect and measure it over time. This is my first research project, and I am in awe over the difference this kind of work can make in people’s lives.”

This content was provided by the BGSU Office of Marketing and Brand Strategy.

First Published March 17, 2025, 4:00 a.m.