Development of an Eating Behavior Risk Score
Who can join
As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.
- Age
- 7 Years to 9 Years
- Sex
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Compensation
- Not stated
Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.
What to expect
No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.
What participation involves
- Visits mentioned: 6 visits
- Time periods mentioned: 1 year
- Procedures mentioned: Questionnaires
Only what the study's summary and detailed description on ClinicalTrials.gov say. Time periods may describe the whole study or a part of it — ask the study team what applies to you.
Show the study's own words
- "The study will include children between the ages of 7 and 9 and will follow them for one year."
- "Researchers will use brain scans, lab-based meal observations, and questionnaires to study how children respond to food and how their eating patterns relate to body fat at the start of the study and one year later."
- "These behaviors will be assessed using a combination of laboratory meal tasks, caregiver questionnaires, and behavioral coding."
- "Children will be invited to six research visits-four at the beginning of the study and two 12 months later-during which they will participate in structured meals where portion sizes are adjusted, complete computer-based and paper assessments, and undergo brain imaging while viewing pictures of food."
- "Parents will be asked to complete surveys about their family's socioeconomic background, food security, feeding practices, and their child's behavior, temperament, and development."
- "Another goal is to determine whether children with higher PACE scores tend to have more body fat and whether those scores predict changes in body fat over one year."
- Compensation
- Not stated
- Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
- Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
- Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
- Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.
About this study
In plain language
This study looks at how eating habits relate to brain activity, body fat, and weight gain in children ages 7 to 9. Children will take part for one year, with brain scans, meals watched by researchers, and questionnaires. Researchers will also look at how family life and parenting may help protect children from gaining too much weight.
This study will explore how children's eating behaviors are connected to brain activity and body fat levels. Researchers are especially interested in a behavior pattern called the PACE phenotype, which includes how much children eat when offered large portions, how quickly they eat, their appetite traits, and their ability to control eating. The goal is to better understand why some children are more likely to gain weight than others. The study will include children between the ages of 7 and 9 and will follow them for one year. Researchers will use brain scans, lab-based meal observations, and questionnaires to study how children respond to food and how their eating patterns relate to body fat at the start of the study and one year later. The study will also look at how family background, parenting, and other factors might protect some children from gaining excess weight even if they show risky eating behaviors. Results may help identify which children are most at risk for obesity and guide future strategies for prevention.
Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.
Eligibility
Who can join
- Children must be 7 to 9 years old when they join.
- Children must be in good health, based on a parent's report. Obesity is allowed.
- Children must speak English fluently.
- Children must have no learning disabilities or delays in development.
- A child's BMI, a measure of weight compared with height, must be below the 85th percentile or at or above the 95th percentile for their age.
- The child's birth mother must have a BMI of 18.5 to 25.0, or 30.0 or higher.
- The parent mainly in charge of feeding must be able to attend visits.
- The parent who knows the most about the child's eating, screen access, sleep, and behavior must attend visits with the child.
Who can't join
- Children taking cold or allergy medicines, or medicines that affect weight, taste, eating, thinking, behavior, or blood flow.
- Children who cannot tell red and green colors apart.
- Children who fear enclosed spaces, or have learning disabilities, ADD/ADHD, language delays, autism, or dyslexia.
- Children with existing health conditions such as diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing's syndrome, Down syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome, HIV, cancer, kidney failure, or cerebral palsy.
- Children with food allergies or severe trouble digesting lactose, the sugar in milk.
- Children with tattoos, permanent makeup, dental devices, pacemakers, or metal implants that make an MRI brain scan unsafe.
- Children who had an X-ray in the past month.
- Families who plan to move away from the area in the next year.
Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.
Official eligibility criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Children : * Children must be of good health (with the exception of obesity being allowed) based on parental self-report. * Children should have no learning disabilities or developmental delays (e.g., ADHD, Autism, dyslexia) * Children should speak English fluently. * Children should not be on any medications known to influence body weight, taste, food intake, behavior, or blood flow, not be claustrophobic. * Children should between the ages of 7-9 years-old at enrollment. * Children must have a BMI-for-age % \< 85 or ≥ 95 to be enrolled. * The biological mother must have a BMI between 18.5 - 25.0 kg/m2 or a BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2. The parent primarily in charge of feeding must be able to accompany children to the visits. Parents : * The biological mother must have a BMI between 18.5 - 25.0 kg/m2 or a BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m2. The parent primarily in charge of feeding must be able to accompany children to the visits. * The parent who has the most knowledge of the child's eating behavior, media access, sleep and behavior must be available to attend the visits with their child. This would be decided among the parents. Exclusion Criteria: Children : * They are not within the age requirements (\< 7 years-old or \> 9 years-old) at baseline. * They are taking cold or allergy medication, or other medications known to influence cognitive function, taste, appetite, or blood flow. * They are red/green colorblind. * They do not speak English fluently. * They report being claustrophobic, or if they have any of the following: a learning disability, ADD/ADHD, language delays, autism, dyslexia, a pre-existing medical condition such as type I or type II diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing's syndrome, Down's syndrome, food allergies, severe lactose intolerance, Prader-Willi syndrome, HIV, cancer, renal failure, or cerebral palsy. * They have tattoos, permanent makeup, dental ware, pacemakers, or metal implants that would preclude safe completion of the MRI. * They have received an X-ray in the previous month. * Their BMI-for-age percentile is between 85-95th Parents : * The biological mother has a body mass index \< 18.5 kg/m2 or between 25-29.9 kg/m2. * The primary parent in charge of making feeding decisions is unable to attend the study visits. * The family reports plans to move away from the area in the next year.
Study sites (1)
PA
- Metabolic Kitchen and Children's Eating Behavior Lab · State College, PA 16802Kathleen L Keller, Ph.D · Principal investigatorMore trials in State College