This project will evaluate Food Savvy, a youth co-developed food literacy program embedded within a high school health education course. The study will engage adolescent leaders in developing and delivering food literacy activities, create a school-ready curriculum aligned with New York State health education standards, and assess the program’s impact on food literacy and healthy eating behaviors. The project is designed in partnership with teens, educators, and community stakeholders to ensure that the program is relevant, practical, and meaningful for students and schools.

Amanda M Ziegler, PhD, MPH, BSN (Department of Family Medicine, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences)

Lucia A. Leone, PhD (Co-Investigator; Senior Mentor, Department of Community Health and Health Behavior, School of Public Health and Health Professions)

Diamonique Pettway (Director of Community, Events, and Marketing, Health Sciences Charter School)

Community Health Equity Research Institute, P-50 Pilot - [7/1/2026 - 6/30/2027]

Adolescence is a critical developmental period characterized by increasing eating autonomy and the establishment of lifelong dietary behaviors. However, many adolescents, particularly those living in under-resourced communities, lack opportunities to develop the practical food skills needed to navigate complex food environments. Food literacy, defined as the knowledge, skills, and behaviors required to plan, select, prepare, and consume food within real-world contexts, represents a promising but understudied target for improving adolescent dietary behaviors and reducing future cardiometabolic risk.

This community-engaged pilot study will evaluate Food Savvy, a youth co-developed, experiential food literacy enhancement embedded within a required high school health education course at Health Sciences Charter School in Buffalo, New York. The aims are to: (1) engage adolescent leaders to co-develop and co-deliver food literacy activities; (2) develop a school-ready Food Savvy curriculum toolkit aligned with New York State health education standards; and (3) evaluate preliminary effects on food literacy, eating autonomy, healthy eating self-efficacy, dietary quality, body composition, and skin carotenoid status.

Using a two-cohort controlled design, approximately 56 students will receive either standard health education or the Food Savvy enhancement. Deliverables include a school-ready curriculum toolkit, implementation guidance, and pilot data needed to support a future NIH-funded multisite trial focused on improving adolescent food literacy and reducing nutrition-related health disparities.

Active