Improving food access and nutrition for teens in low-income neighborhoods
[R01] Prioritizing food systems interventions to reduce adolescents’ nutrition insecurity and malnutrition in low-income settings
This project will try community-led ways to make healthy food more available and affordable for teenagers living in low-income urban areas.
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-11373821 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a project working directly with adolescents and local communities in Nairobi, Kenya to understand how where you live shapes what you eat. Researchers will run participatory workshops with young people, gather surveys and local data on food access and diets, and build models to see which changes could help the most. They will compare informal settlements and formal neighborhoods to find solutions that fit different settings. The work centers adolescents' real-life experiences so recommended actions are practical for daily life.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents about 12–20 years old living in low-income urban neighborhoods (including informal settlements) who can join workshops and answer surveys.
Not a fit: People who are not adolescents or who live outside the target low-income urban areas are unlikely to see direct benefits from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could lead to community and policy changes that make healthy foods easier and cheaper for adolescents to get.
How similar studies have performed: Community-participatory and systems-thinking approaches have shown promise for shaping food policies, but using them specifically for adolescents in informal urban settlements is relatively novel.
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.