Strong Teens Change Club to make middle schools healthier
Strong Teens for Healthy Schools Change Club: A civic engagement approach to improving physical activity and healthy eating environments
A school-based club that helps middle school students work together to improve their school’s food and activity options while encouraging healthier habits.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Texas A&m Agrilife Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Station, UNITED STATES) |
| Project ID | NIH-11089416 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a middle school student you would join a teen-led Change Club that uses civic engagement to make your school healthier. The team will work with teachers, school staff, 4‑H and Cooperative Extension partners, and a local advisory board to refine and deliver the program. The project will test the program in a pilot cluster-randomized trial across about 20 middle schools and use group activities and participatory methods like Photovoice to collect and analyze data. Outcomes will focus on students’ physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake, and markers related to metabolic health and school environment changes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are middle school students (roughly grades 6–8) at schools that join the Change Club program.
Not a fit: Children much younger than middle school, adults, or students at schools not enrolled in the trial are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could make school food and activity environments healthier and help reduce students’ risk factors for future heart disease.
How similar studies have performed: Previous school-based evidence-based interventions have shown modest success (for example reducing overweight prevalence by up to about 8%), but using a teen-led civic engagement approach in middle schools is a newer strategy.
Where this research is happening
College Station, UNITED STATES
- Texas A&m Agrilife Research — College Station, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Szeszulski, Jacob — Texas A&m Agrilife Research
- Study coordinator: Szeszulski, Jacob
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.