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Completed

NCT Number: NCT01510678

The Effect of Three Different Dietary Messages on Dietary Intake and Health in Families

Examine the effect of three different dietary messages on dietary intake and the health of parents and their children.

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Key information

Conditions

Obesity Body Weight Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms

Age range

6 year–12 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States

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About this study

The goal of this pilot study is to conduct a randomized controlled trial examining three dietary messages: increase fruits and vegetables [INCREASE], decrease energy-dense, non-nutrient dense snack foods [DECREASE], or increase fruits and vegetables plus decrease snack foods [INCREASE+DECREASE], within a 6-month, family-based obesity prevention intervention. Each condition will also focus on increasing family evening meals and physical activity. Primary hypotheses are: 1) INCREASE + DECREASE will consume a greater ratio of F&Vs:SFs than INCREASE and DECREASE at 6 months.

2)INCREASE + DECREASE will consume less energy than INCREASE and DECREASE at 6 months.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Children between ages 6-12 years
  • BMI percentile > 5th and < 85th percentile for age and sex
  • Have a parent aged > 21 years with a BMI > 25
  • Have an overweight/obese parent willing to attend intervention meetings
  • Parent and child speak and read English
  • Not moving out of the metropolitan area during the course of the investigation

Exclusion criteria

  • Reporting that the child and parent planning to participate have dietary restrictions related to fruit and vegetable intake
  • Physical activity restrictions
  • A parent reporting that she is pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or currently breastfeeding

Treatment and study plan

Increase Fruits and Vegetables

Behavioral

Children will be encouraged to consume 1 cup/day and 1.5 cups/day of whole fruit, and 1.5 cups/day and 2 cups/day of vegetables for children aged 6 to 8 years and 9 to 12 years, respectively. Children will gradually work towards these goals. Parents will also work towards F&V goals, with 2 cups/day of whole fruit and 2.5 cups/day of vegetables. Both parent and child will self-monitor these behaviors. As one barrier to consuming F&Vs is perceived cost of these foods, information regarding lower-cost options for F&Vs will be included in the manual.

Decrease Snack Foods

Behavioral

This condition will reduce intake of SFs (i.e., candy, cookies, cakes, ice cream, chips, nuts) to < 3 servings/week (for children aged 6 to 12 years, the solid fats and added sugar energy limit is 840 kcals/week and the DECREASE goal will help with meeting this limit). Children and parents will gradually work towards meeting these goals and self-monitor these behaviors.

Increase Fruits and Vegetables and Decrease Snack Foods

Behavioral

Will combine the goals of the increase and decrease conditions.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Dietary intake

    Time frame: baseline and 6 months

    Changes in F&Vs, SFs, energy density, overall energy, and percent energy from fat intake, will be assessed by a three-day food record (two weekdays, one weekend day).

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Anthropometrics

    Time frame: baseline and 6 months

    child and parent height, weight, BMI, and z-BMI

  2. Change in Parent Feeding Styles

    Time frame: baseline and 6 months

    Includes 7 topics: perceived responsibility, perceived parent weight, perceived child weight, concern about child weight, restriction, pressure to eat, and monitoring.

  3. Change in Parenting Styles

    Time frame: baseline and 6 months

    Assesses practices associated with different parenting styles

  4. Change in Eating Pathology

    Time frame: baseline and 6 months

    Kids eating disorder survey and eating in the absence of hunger survey

  5. Change in Physical Activity

    Time frame: baseline and 6 months

    Previous day physical activity recall- looks at 2 weekdays and 1 weekend day. For parents and children to complete

  6. Change in Obesogenic Home Food Availability

    Time frame: baseline and 6 months

    self-report on foods that are available in the home.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

Other

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2012
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jan 16, 2012
Registry last updated
Jun 9, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

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This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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