Family-focused program to boost health and school success for vulnerable girls
Official title: “Testing the Impact of Family-based Intervention to Improve Developmental and Health Outcomes for Female Adolescents.”
Funded at New York University · NIH-11459154 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A scalable family-centered program aims to improve nutrition, mental health, and healthy behaviors for adolescent girls in Ghana, helping those at risk stay in school and thrive.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2025 |
| Project end | August 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $265,827 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD116780-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11459154 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescent girls aged 11 to 14 years in low-resource communities at risk of school dropout and anemia.
✕Less likely to help
Girls in settings with strong existing support systems or those not impacted by poverty-related risk factors may see limited additional benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests an innovative, family-based approach in schools to support adolescent girls facing poverty and anemia in Northern Ghana. In a cluster-randomized trial across 32 junior high schools, 960 girls aged 11 to 14 will participate to see if the program improves health and education outcomes. The intervention focuses on strengthening family functioning, psychosocial wellbeing, and financial stability to promote healthier eating, mental health, and consistent school attendance. The study will measure changes in nutrition, mental health indicators, and health-related behaviors over time to determine real-world effectiveness.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve girls' nutrition, mental health, and school retention, setting a healthier trajectory into adulthood.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier evidence suggests family-centered, school-based health interventions can improve adolescent outcomes, but this trial will test effectiveness in a high-need Ghanaian setting.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sensoy Bahar, Ozge — New York University
- Study coordinator: Sensoy Bahar, Ozge
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
An integrated mobile health program to reduce SAVA and mental health problems among female sex workers in Kenya
A new mobile health program aims to help female sex workers in Kenya avoid substance abuse, violence, HIV, and depression by delivering group therapy, online resources, and a peer discussion space.
-
HIV in Women: How the virus hides and the immune system changes across life stages
This project looks at how HIV behaves differently in people from puberty through menopause, focusing on how hormones like estrogen may affect HIV persistence and immune responses.
-
Mobile health support to boost PrEP and contraception use among young women in Zambia
A mobile health program helps female university students in Zambia learn about and access HIV prevention and contraception.
-
Computational modeling of female hormone balance and drug responses
A new computational model uses patient-like data to predict how metabolic drugs will work in women across their hormonal cycles and different reproductive stages.
-
How PrEP Drugs Affect HIV Risk in Women and Reproductive Health
This project looks at how PrEP medicines work for women, and whether they influence pregnancy-related processes in the uterus.
-
How female eggs throw away most chromosomes during meiosis
A scientist at UC Davis is studying why only a quarter of chromosomes go into the egg during female reproductive cell division and how errors in this process can cause miscarriage or birth defects.
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.