Prioritizing food system changes to reduce adolescent hunger and malnutrition in low-income areas
Official title: [R01] Prioritizing food systems interventions to reduce adolescents’ nutrition insecurity and malnutrition in low-income settings
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11474068 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project will work with teens in low-income urban areas of Nairobi, Kenya, to understand how local food systems affect their nutrition and find practical ways to improve access to healthy foods.
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 start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $36,432 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD113723-03S3 |
| Project ID | NIH-11474068 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents aged 12-20 living in informal or formal urban settlements in LMICs, with limited access to affordable healthy foods.
✕Less likely to help
Adolescents without access challenges or in settings with abundant healthy food options may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
This project uses a mix of community input, data, and modeling to map how food options, costs, and services influence what adolescents eat in Nairobi’s informal and formal settlements. It aims to identify leverage points in the food system that could reduce both undernutrition and obesity among 12- to 20-year-olds, while also considering young adults. Researchers will combine participatory systems thinking with quantitative data to compare neighborhoods and model potential interventions before applying them. The focus is on real-world settings and the lived experiences of adolescents to design targeted, acceptable strategies. The ultimate goal is to inform policies and programs that make healthy foods more accessible and affordable for youth in LMIC urban areas.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could guide practical interventions that improve adolescents' access to nutritious foods and reduce malnutrition.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that addressing food systems can influence dietary choices and nutrition, but adolescent-focused, systemic approaches in LMIC urban settings are less common and hold promise.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Downs, Shauna — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Downs, Shauna
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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.