Child Obesity

The goal of this project is to evaluate an adapted health promotion program, HomeGrown, designed to improve the health of young children with Down syndrome by supporting families in making healthy home environmental changes. There is a significant need for evidence-based programs that address healthy eating and physical activity within this population, as most existing interventions have been developed for typically developing children. By tailoring the program to the unique needs of families of young children with Down syndrome, this project aims to advance inclusion and equity in health behavior promotion. This R61/R33 study will assess the feasibility (R61 Phase) and subsequent efficacy (R33 Phase) of the HomeGrown program in improving family practices related to nutrition and physical activity. During the R61 feasibility phase, 38 primary caregivers of children aged 2-6 years with Down syndrome will be enrolled in a 6-month randomized controlled trial. Families will be randomized 1:1 to either the HomeGrown intervention or a waitlist control group (6-month delayed start), stratified by the child's biological sex (male/female) and age (2-3 vs. 4-6 years). All measures will be collected at baseline and at 6-month follow-up. The R61 feasibility phase will address three specific aims: Accrual: Achieve an enrollment rate of 10 families per month, supporting feasibility for the R33 efficacy phase. Engagement: Demonstrate that families use at least 70% of available HomeGrown intervention components, measured using the digital behavior change interventions engagement scale. Data Collection \& Retention: Achieve at least 80% retention with completion of all outcome assessments. By addressing key gaps in nutrition and physical activity research for young children with Down syndrome, this study has the potential to improve health outcomes for an underserved population and inform future clinical and community health promotion efforts.

The purpose of this study is to determine the most effective family-centered intervention (FCI) for weight loss and obesity prevention in Hispanic families. FCI is a type of program that involves family (such as parents and caregivers) supporting their children to promote healthy habits.

This retrospective observational study aims to evaluate postoperative respiratory complications (PORC) after (adeno)tonsillectomy in children with OSA. In order to increase the number of patients available for analysis, we will merge data collected at UZA with data collected at the the Department of Sleep Laboratory and Sleep Surgery at the Heim Pal National Pediatric Institute, Hungary. These colleagues performed an identical prospective data collection.

More2Sleep is a randomized, controlled, parallel trial with two groups (sleep extension vs control) including 142 school-aged children (6-12 years) who have a BMI above average, defined as age- and sex-specific BMI Z-score above zero using WHO reference standards, and habitually sleep for ≤ 9 h/night. Data will be collected before and after a 3-month sleep extension intervention, and after a 6-month follow-up (at months 0, 3, and 9). The collection of data is mainly related to the main study. However, some optional examinations will be conducted on a first come, first serve basis, consisting of substudy-I (metabolic mechanisms, n=60) and substudy-II (learning mechanisms, n=142). The primary objective is to assess the effects of sleep extension by \~45 min/night, achieved by going to bed 60-90 min earlier, on adiposity and learning ability in school-aged children who have a BMI for age and sex above average, and sleep less than recommended for their age.

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of the (Brighter Bites (BB) intervention compared to a wait-list control group 9 months after the intervention on changes in primary child outcomes (HbA1c, and vegetable intake), on changes in secondary outcomes (household food security status, parent and child dietary behaviors, and home access/availability of fruits and vegetables (FV)), and the mediational influence of changes in food security status, parent outcomes, and home environment measures on changes in child outcomes.

The goal of this study is to 1) use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the effect of nutritious foods on inflammation in the human hypothalamus of children and 2) assess the feasibility and acceptability of nutritious food feeding intervention strategies in children with overweight or obesity.

The preschool years are a critical time for shaping food preferences and eating behaviors, which affect dietary behaviors in adults and life-long risks for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic conditions. Unfortunately, many US children, especially low-income and ethnic minorities, have dietary patterns associated with obesity and increased morbidity. Thus, to improve child diet quality, it is essential to develop effective targeted interventions in settings where children (especially higher-risk children) spend time. The investigators build upon our efficacious Healthy Start intervention with family childcare home (FCCH) providers (FCCP) to pilot a novel, 8-month multilevel tailored intervention to reach families through FCCH. This would be the first study to incorporate family-based intervention components into FCCH. The 8-month intervention will include an adapted version of the Healthy Start intervention as well as FCCP training to deliver nutrition messages to parents using an existing childcare App, complemented with FCCH environmental cues and tailored print and videos for parents. In sum, feasible and effective interventions to improve young children's diets are urgently needed. The FCCH is a novel and untapped setting to intervene with both FCCP and parents simultaneously to affect children's diets in both childcare and home settings, which has the potential to more fully impact the child's overall diet and weight status.

Scientific knowledge of the cognitive-developmental processes that serve to support children's appetite self-regulation are surprisingly limited. This investigation will provide new scientific directions for obesity prevention by elucidating cognitive-developmental influences on young children's ability to make healthy food choices and eat in moderation.

The preschool age is a crucial period of growth and an optimal time to begin to establish healthy eating and physical activity habits leading to better food and activity choices into adulthood, thereby minimizing risk for obesity-related diseases and decreasing the cardiometabolic disparities in this Indigenous population. More Outside Your Door is a multi-level, randomized, stepped-wedge intervention trial designed to reduce the disparity of childhood obesity in Yup'ik Alaska Native children by increasing the proportion of nutrient-dense traditional and traditional-like foods offered and increasing physical activity, particularly outdoor activities related to traditional Yup'ik subsistence and lifestyle practices. This 5-year intervention trial targeting 3-5 year olds is conducted in partnership with Rural Action Community Action Program Head Start programs in 12 rural Alaskan communities, where each site is assigned annually to a wedge group to receive either a community-altered culturally-tailored 8-month traditional foods and activities curriculum intervention or the standard regional Head Start program intervention.

The goal of this clinical trial is to assess the health-related effects of an exercise intervention in children aged 5-8 years. Main research questions: * Does a municipality-driven exercise intervention improve physical activity levels in children? * Does a municipality-driven exercise intervention improve sleep parameters in children? * Does a municipality-driven exercise intervention improve eating behaviors in children? * Does a municipality-driven exercise intervention improve quality of life in children? Study Design: Participants will be assigned to either: * Intervention group: Attend 1-2 weekly sessions of 45-60 minutes of child-friendly exercise for 1 year. * Control group: Receive no intervention. Data Collection: Participants will: * Complete questionnaires at baseline, and at 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year follow-ups. * Wear accelerometers for 7 consecutive days at baseline, and at 1-year, 3-year, and 5-year follow-ups.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effectiveness of the produce prescription program at improving weight status and obesity-related health outcomes of participants, to examine the impacts of the program on household food insecurity and nutrition security, to examine the impacts of the program on participating adolescents' dietary behavioral outcomes, their home nutrition environment and feeding practices and to examine the impacts of the program in reducing healthcare use and associated costs

The proposed research aims to assess how well a structured intervention is intended to reduce childhood obesity. The intervention addresses food and physical activity behaviors, important determinants of obesity, by concentrating on these elements. The goal of nutritional and physical education is to raise knowledge about the negative effects of obesity and encourage healthy eating habits in children and their caregivers. These educational campaigns will be delivered primarily through schools, guaranteeing a wide audience and consistent messaging.