Better food access and nutrition for adolescents in low-income urban neighborhoods
[R01] Prioritizing food systems interventions to reduce adolescents’ nutrition insecurity and malnutrition in low-income settings
This project tries different food-system changes to help teens in low-income urban areas get affordable, healthy food and reduce both hunger and unhealthy weight.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Newark, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11373822 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project will work with teenagers in Nairobi's informal and formal settlements to learn what makes it hard to eat well. Researchers will run participatory workshops where adolescents map local food systems, gather surveys and BMI measurements, and collect household- and community-level data. They will combine these real-world data with computer modeling to see which interventions—like market changes, school food programs, or subsidies—might have the biggest impact. The goal is to prioritize practical actions that reflect adolescents' lived experiences and local food environments.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents (about 12–20 years old) living in low-income urban neighborhoods, particularly in selected communities in Nairobi, Kenya.
Not a fit: People who live outside the targeted low-income urban areas, older adults, or those not involved in local food systems are unlikely to directly benefit from the specific interventions tested.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could guide programs and policies that make healthy, affordable foods easier for adolescents to access, lowering both undernutrition and obesity.
How similar studies have performed: Community food programs and school-feeding have improved diets in some places, but combining participatory systems methods with modeling focused on adolescents in informal settlements is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
Newark, UNITED STATES
- Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences — Newark, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Downs, Shauna — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Downs, Shauna
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.