Farming support to improve sexual and reproductive health for adolescent girls and young women
Assessing the effects of a multisectoral agricultural intervention on the reproductive and sexual health of adolescent girls and young women
This project gives farming tools, training, and household support to girls and young women in western Kenya to help reduce food insecurity and lower their risk of HIV and other sexually infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11380385 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From your perspective, the program provides a household agricultural package (water pump, tools, seeds) plus farming training delivered through schools and communities to help families grow food and income. The team will work in Kisumu, Homa Bay, and Migori counties and follow adolescent girls and young women over time to track food security, mental health, school attendance, and HIV/STI outcomes. Households receiving the agricultural intervention will be compared with others to see whether the approach changes health and social outcomes. Local partners will support implementation and study how the program could be expanded if it helps.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adolescent girls and young women (roughly ages 15–24) living in food-insecure households in Kisumu, Homa Bay, or Migori counties in western Kenya are the intended participants.
Not a fit: People outside the targeted age range, those not living in the study counties, or households without food insecurity are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this program.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could reduce food insecurity and lower HIV/STI rates while improving mental health and school retention for adolescent girls and young women.
How similar studies have performed: A prior pilot of the Shamba Maisha program showed it was feasible, acceptable, and linked to less food insecurity and better mental health, but larger trials demonstrating direct reductions in HIV/STI rates are limited.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiser, Sheri Dawn — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Weiser, Sheri Dawn
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.