Clinical Research Directory

The Effect of Therapeutic Play on Eating Behaviors in Primary School Children

Primary health care is a comprehensive, community-based approach that aims to maximize health, well-being, and their equitable distribution through three main components (WHO, 2025). Its key components, identified at the Alma-Ata Conference, include health education; environmental sanitation, particularly food and water; maternal and child health programs, including immunization and family planning; prevention of endemic diseases; appropriate treatment of common diseases and injuries; provision of essential medicines; promotion of healthy nutrition; and mental health promotion (Eren, 1982). It is anticipated that a study aimed at fostering healthy eating habits in children through the use of therapeutic play methods will raise family awareness, facilitate the delivery of effective health education to children, highlight the role of nurses in safeguarding child health, and ultimately improve public health. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the therapeutic play method-applied within the scope of primary health care services in schools-on children's emotional eating behaviors and to foster their belief in their ability to make healthy food choices. Research Hypotheses H1: The mean total scores on the emotional eating scale for children in the intervention group are lower than those for the control group. H2: : The mean total scores on the food behaviour scale for children in the intervention group are higher than those for the control group. Variables of the Study Independent variables The independent variables of the study are the children's socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender). On the first day, the children were asked to complete the 'Child and Family Information Form', the 'Eating Behaviour Scale' and the Emotional Eating Scale for Children and Adolescents. A three-week program will be administered to the intervention group by the researchers. A 3-week gamified healthy eating program was implemented for children in the intervention group. In the first week, children used green and red cards to identify whether nutrition-related statements were true or false, followed by explanations of the correct information by the researcher. In the second week, a "Nutrition Heroes" game was conducted. Children matched foods with related nutrients, such as fish with omega-3 and protein, and participated in a group puzzle competition to identify healthy foods. In the third week, activities focused on emotional eating awareness. Children watched a video about emotions, discussed their feelings, and participated interactively in a story about emotional eating. These activities aimed to improve children's healthy eating knowledge and awareness of the relationship between emotions and eating behavior.

Piaget-Based Nutrition Education in Preschools

This explanatory sequential mixed-methods study evaluated a six-week Piaget-based nutrition education programme for preschool children. Seven public preschools were randomized at the school level to an intervention condition (three preschools) or a usual-curriculum control condition (four preschools). The intervention consisted of six weekly, approximately 30-minute, developmentally tailored sessions delivered to groups of children in their usual classrooms. Mothers completed measures of children's food consumption frequency, nutrition behavior, and eating behavior before and immediately after the programme. Following the quantitative phase, three focus groups with 18 mothers from intervention preschools explored perceived changes and helped interpret the quantitative patterns. Because preschool identifiers were not retained in the final analytical dataset, the reported child-level analyses did not adjust for clustering and are interpreted as exploratory.

Peanut-based School Meals in Rural Ghana to Improve Attendance and Retention

The goal of this clinical trial is to test daily provision of peanut paste-based milk-containing ready-to-use school food (PM-RUF) in children 5-17 years of age in Ghana . The main question it aims to answer is: \- Will provision of PM-RUF as a daily school meal improve attendance, improve matriculation, and/or reduce dropouts among Ghanaian schoolchildren 5-17 years of age in Mion District as compared with provision of a common local flour made of rice/millet?

Healthy Baby Healthy Mother Toolkit

The objective of the research is to test whether integrating a mother-baby nutrition toolkit into routine antenatal care service can improve maternal and infant nutrition in Amhara, Ethiopia

Water is K'é: Multi-level Intervention to Promote Healthy Beverage Choices Among Navajo Families

The goal of this clinical trial is to understand if a cultural intervention for Navajo families will improve healthy beverage habits, health outcomes, and family cohesion. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does Water is K'é results in healthier beverage habits among children aged 2 to 5, compared with children in a control group? * Does the intervention improve the health of other family members? * How does the intervention affect family well-being? Participants will take part in a four-month program at the early child education site (such as a Head Start or the Bureau of Indian Affair's Family and Child Education or FACE Program) where the child is enrolled. They will take part in lesson plans, a social media campaign, and a family water access plan. Researchers will compare the participating families with families at wait-list early child educations sites. We will collect information through surveys, health measurements, and qualitative interviews and compare results to learn if Water is K'e improves health behaviors, health outcomes, and family cohesion.

Parents Together: Supporting Parents to Promote Healthy Behaviours in Children

The Parents Together trial aims to determine if the Parents Together program consisting of virtual parent group sessions and coaching calls, will result in better health outcomes for children. The program which is facilitated by a Public Health Nurse seeks to encourage healthy lifestyle behaviours, help build strong family relationships, and promote child development and mental health.