Clinical Research Directory

Integrating Food Rx With Best Feeding Practices With EFNEP

To assess feasibility and acceptability of of integrating Food Rx and Best Feeding Practices with EFNEP participants via a pilot study.

Food Intake-Related Brain and Metabolic Responses in Obesity

This study is a prospective, single-center, randomized, controlled, crossover intervention trial. A total of 60 participants, including 30 patients with obesity and 30 healthy controls, will be enrolled. Each participant will receive an isocaloric liquid meal challenge (glucose, fat, or protein) on three separate experimental days, with a washout period of at least 7 days between visits to eliminate carryover effects from the previous intervention. The primary objective is to investigate the association between brain functional patterns and plasma metabolic profiles following the ingestion of different macronutrients in patients with obesity, aiming to uncover potential neuro-metabolic imbalance features.

A Sensory Strategy to Cut Sugary Beverages in African/American and Latine Adolescents

The goal of this clinical trial is to test whether replacing sugary sodas with unsweetened, flavored sparkling waters can reduce added sugar intake and improve health in Black/African American and Latine adolescents with obesity who prefer sweet-tasting beverages. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does replacing sugary sodas with water change liking for sugary drinks, and water? * Do shifts in liking for sweetness lead to improved diet quality and cardiometabolic health? Researchers will compare replacing sugary sodas with one of three alternative beverages: unsweetened sparkling water, plain water, and beverages with gradually reduced sugar to determine which strategy is most effective. Participants will: * Replace sugary sodas with study drinks for 4 weeks * Complete taste tests to measure their liking for and sensory experience of sweetness over 8-weeks * Provide dietary recalls, body measurements, and blood samples over 8-weeks

Evaluation of SNAP-Ed Online Modules to Improve Responsive Feeding Practices of Caregivers

Evaluation of three online modules developed by the Center for Childhood Obesity Research for caregivers of children ages 5-12 years old participating in SNAP-Ed programing.

The Effect of Interaction-Based Early Education Program Applied to Grandparents on the Grandchildren's Health

In our study, "Does the early childhood intervention applied to grandparents as caregivers affect the child's growth, development (cognitive and socio-emotional development), and nutrition? Does early childhood intervention apply to grandparents as caregivers have an impact on caregiving characteristics, grandparent's health, attachment, parenting role, psychosocial well-being, role satisfaction, and communication with the child? Is early childhood intervention applied to grandparents as caregivers effective in creating a common language between grandparents and mothers on child care issues?" the answers to these questions will be tried to be answered. This randomized controlled study will be conducted between July 2023 and July 2024 with children aged 0-4 years and their parents/grandparents using a mixed methodology. Children between the ages of 0-4 will be included in the study group, and those who are only cared for by their grandparents will be included in the study group, and cared for by their parents will be included in the control group. The study will consist of 2 stages. The first phase will be conducted with a pilot study group to establish the training program. After the 5-session program is administered, a qualitative analysis will be made and the program will be finalized according to the feedback. In the second stage of the study, a pre-test will be done through questionnaires, and then a training program will be applied to the group with grandparents as caregivers. The post-test will be applied to each group 6-8 weeks after the 5-group session ends. Pre-test and post-tests will be created in the online Google survey format. Pre-tests will only be applied to grandparents and mothers. Post-tests will be carried out at 4 practice times (after 6-8 weeks, 6th, 9th, and 12th months after the end of the intervention) determined for the evaluation of both parental and childhood outcomes. The second qualitative analysis will be made in a group format with the grandparents who applied for the program and the mothers (parents) of those children. For the qualitative analysis, the pre-created semi-structured interview format will be used after obtaining the consent of the participants, and if they give their consent, a voice recording will be taken. Fathers will also be informed and encouraged to participate and will be included in the qualitative phase of the study if they give consent for participation.

Starting Early to Prevent Obesity Using Telehealth (StEP OUT): Intervention Development Trial

The goal of this intervention development study is to optimize the Starting Early to Prevent Obesity Using Telehealth (StEP OUT) intervention for feasibility and acceptability, using human-centered design and community-engaged research methods.

Lowering Caloric Density of the Diet

For weight loss to occur, energy intake needs to be reduced to incur an energy deficit. One dietary strategy that may facilitate reducing energy intake and enhancing weight loss is consuming a diet low in dietary energy density (ED). The ED of a given food, defined as the ratio of energy of the food to the weight of the food (kcal/g), is largely determined by water content, but is also affected by fat and fiber. Although the 2010 Dietary Guidelines encourage an eating pattern low in energy density (ED) to manage weight, it is currently not known what the best strategy is for reducing ED in the diet. Eating a greater number of foods low in ED or reducing the number of foods high in ED may reduce overall dietary ED. As ED is believed to reduce intake by allowing a greater weight of food relative to total energy consumed assisting with enhancing feelings of fullness, it is anticipated that either increasing consumption of low-ED foods in the diet alone or combining an increase in consumption of low-ED foods with a decrease in consumption of high-ED foods may be the best strategies for reducing overall dietary ED for weight loss.

Predictors of Weight Loss and Metabolic Health After Bariatric Surgery

In this prospective study the investigators aim to identify preoperative predictors of improvement of metabolic health and weight loss after bariatric surgery focusing on inflammation, insulin sensitivity (in a subgroup of patients), glucoregulatory determinants, psychological traits, feeding behavior characteristics and cardiorespiratory fitness

The Jiaxing Birth Cohort in China

The Jiaxing Birth Cohort (JBC) is the largest prospective cohort study to explore prenatal risk factors, early life feeding practice and growth pattern/ adiposity in Chinese children.Between 1999 and 2013, 338 413 mother-child pairs were recruited in Jiaxing area in south-east China.Children of the recruited women were followed up at 1-2, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months of age, and subsequently followed up every 6 months to 36 months of age (toddler stage), and every year to 6-7 years of age before they went to school (pre-school stage). Follow-up rate was 70.8% at the toddler stage and 68.9% at the pre-school stage up to June 2013.