Systems modeling to support healthier teen neighborhoods and schools
Official title: Systems Modeling to Improve Adolescent Health and Well-being
Funded at Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences · NIH-11375088 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A nationwide team will use data from a large study of rural North Carolina students to map how neighborhood, school, and peer factors affect teen substance use and well-being, with plans to test future interventions.
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 21, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,626,200 |
| NIH project number | 4R01MD019763-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11375088 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents in public schools in the three rural North Carolina counties studied, and future students who would be affected by neighborhood and school interventions.
✕Less likely to help
Adolescents outside similar school and community contexts or in areas not represented by the Context Study data may see limited applicability.
What this research studies
This project will build a systems-level model of how family, school, and community environments influence adolescent health. Researchers will use existing data from The Context Study, combine it with school records, Census data, and geocodes, and run group model building workshops with local stakeholders. They will create a causal loop diagram and an agent-based model to project how targeted interventions might reduce substance use and improve mental well-being over several years. The work aims to translate complex social factors into actionable insights for communities, schools, and policymakers. The approach emphasizes collaboration with local partners to ensure relevance and potential for real-world impact.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the model could guide communities on which interventions are most likely to improve teen well-being and reduce substance use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has used systems modeling to understand adolescent health contexts and has shown promise in guiding interventions, though this exact ABM approach is innovative in this setting.
Where this research is happening
-
Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
Newark, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Taggart, Tamara — Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Taggart, Tamara
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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.