Strong Teens for Healthy Schools Change Club: a civic approach to healthier school environments
Official title: Strong Teens for Healthy Schools Change Club: A civic engagement approach to improving physical activity and healthy eating environments
Funded at Texas A&m Agrilife Research · NIH-11396966 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A school-based program helps middle school students lead changes in physical activity and healthy eating to reduce obesity and heart disease risk.
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 start | September 19, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $303,000 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018214-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11396966 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Middle school students (approximately 11-15 years old) in participating schools and their school communities.
✕Less likely to help
Students in schools that do not implement the program or whose communities do not engage may not experience direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project partners with middle schools to adapt and test a multi-level, civic engagement program that empowers students, teachers, and school staff to improve physical activity and fruit-and-vegetable access. It uses a local advisory board with Extension agents, 4-H staff, and administrators to refine the approach and then pilot it in a cluster-randomized trial across about 20 schools. The intervention emphasizes student leadership, environmental changes in schools, and collaborative data analysis methods like Photovoice to track impact. By focusing on both individual behaviors and school-wide environments, it aims to reduce Metabolic Syndrome risk factors among youth and lower cardiovascular risk. The study is conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and collaborators, with results that could inform scalable school health strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, students may experience healthier eating, more physical activity, and a lower risk of future heart disease.
How similar studies have gone: Previous evidence suggests school-based, multi-level interventions can improve activity and diet, but this specific civic-engagement, multi-level approach in middle schools is novel.
Where this research is happening
-
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.