How family culture and habits shape young children's fruit and vegetable intake and weight
Official title: Behavioral Research on Acculturation and moderating and mediating Variables Observed Specifically among Latinos: BRAVOS
Funded at University of Nevada Las Vegas · NIH-11169943 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how parents' habits and cultural changes influence preschoolers' fruit and vegetable intake and weight, using a simple skin scan to measure fruit and vegetable biomarkers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Nevada Las Vegas NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Las Vegas, United States) |
| Project start | August 14, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $189,375 |
| NIH project number | 5R16GM154708-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11169943 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are parents or primary caregivers of preschool-aged children (roughly ages 2–5), especially families living in the Las Vegas/Nevada area and including Latino families who may be experiencing cultural change.
✕Less likely to help
This project is not aimed at adults without young children or at older children and likely will not directly help people with medical conditions that severely affect diet or growth.
What this research studies
You would join a group of 251 parent–preschool child pairs in Nevada and be followed for three years to track children's diet and growth. Researchers will use a quick, non‑invasive skin scan that detects carotenoids as a marker of fruit and vegetable intake, along with parent-reported 24‑hour dietary recalls. The study will watch how parents' feeding behaviors and cultural adaptation (acculturation) relate to children's fruit/vegetable intake and BMI percentile over time. The team will also test whether the skin carotenoid scan is practical and acceptable for young children and whether parents can serve as reliable reporters of their child's diet.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could help design better family-focused ways to boost young children's fruit and vegetable intake and prevent early childhood obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies linking parent behaviors and child diet are mostly cross-sectional, and while skin carotenoid scans look promising as a quick, objective marker, longitudinal evidence in preschool children is still limited.
Where this research is happening
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University of Nevada Las Vegas
Las Vegas, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johansen, Christopher Martin — University of Nevada Las Vegas
- Study coordinator: Johansen, Christopher Martin
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.