# Effectiveness of population level interventions in schools and academic performance

> **NIH NIH R01** · DREXEL UNIVERSITY · 2024 · $621,689

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
African American and Latino populations have worse adult health than their White peers (hereafter “health
disparities”). These health gaps often begin in childhood, and have persisted, in part, because of continuing
inequalities in the social determinants of health. Far less research has identified population-level interventions
that level the playing field on the social determinants of health across population subgroups. The scant
evidence on effective population-level interventions is a significant barrier to reducing health gaps. Rigorous
prior studies have revealed the plausibility for large-scale nutrition policies to reduce racial/ethnic gaps in
children’s academic performance—a strong predictor of adult educational attainment, which is one of the most
fundamental determinants of health. These studies have illuminated the intermediary mechanisms in the
pathway between school nutrition policies, (junk) food availability in communities near schools and children’s
academic performance. No longitudinal studies have thoroughly investigated the population-level influences
on academic performance of nutrition policies together with modifiable characteristics of nearby-school
neighborhoods. This longitudinal study capitalizes on a series of natural experiments generated by California’s
policies to improve nutrition standards for foods and drinks sold to children in schools, and the changes in
nutrition standards for school meals put in place by the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010. The study will
determine (a) the effectiveness of population-level school nutrition policy interventions in improving children’s
academic performance and reducing related gaps among African American and Latino vs. White peers; (b) the
extent to which modifiable, food-related factors in communities near schools influence longitudinal changes in
academic performance disparities; and (c) if school nutrition policy effectiveness varies by those community
factors. To generate valid inferences about the population-level effectiveness of these policies on academic
performance, this study uses the strongest possible approach to evaluate non-randomized exposures: a
difference-in-differences analysis that includes within-child change in exposures. Difference in difference
analyses will also examine the effects of child-level changes in modifiable characteristics of communities near
their schools and changes in academic performance (and disparities). This study is unparalleled because we
use powerful longitudinal data on academic performance among a diverse population of 11.8 million children.
Policy and community interventions in and around schools hold potential to reduce disparities given their
community-oriented focus, existing infrastructures and networks that facilitate their large-scale implementation
and broad reach. Given its robust design, the study will have a significant impact on evidence-based nutrition
policy and population-level interventions to...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10831084
- **Project number:** 5R01MD017687-03
- **Recipient organization:** DREXEL UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Brisa N Sanchez
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $621,689
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2022-08-21 → 2027-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10831084

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10831084, Effectiveness of population level interventions in schools and academic performance (5R01MD017687-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10831084. Licensed CC0.

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