How family eating and activity habits affect young children's weight
Official title: Role of energy balance behaviors in modifying biobehavioral risk factors for childhood obesity
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11249654 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether young children's eating behaviors, activity, and family routines change weight over a year and can lessen genetic risk for obesity in kids ages 5–7 from low-resource families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $551,488 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK134371-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11249654 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are children aged 5–7 from low-resource households, especially those with strong appetite-driven eating behaviors or a family history of obesity.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the 5–7 age range, families not in low-resource settings, or anyone seeking immediate treatment rather than observational research may not directly benefit from participation.
What this research studies
If your child participates, researchers will follow children aged 5 to 7 from low-resource families over one year to link eating behaviors, activity, and home routines with changes in weight and body fat. They will measure children's genetic risk using a genetic risk score and test appetite-related traits like how rewarding food is, eating speed, and eating when not hungry. The study combines behavioral measures, family environment information, and genetic data to see which behaviors modify obesity risk. Data collection will include repeated weight and adiposity measurements, standardized behavioral tasks, and caregiver surveys.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could point to specific, changeable family behaviors and routines that help lower children's obesity risk and guide targeted prevention efforts.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked appetite traits and genetic risk to child weight, but combining genetic risk scores with detailed, prospective family behavior measures in low-resource families is a relatively new approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kral, Tanja V.e. — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Kral, Tanja V.e.
Related research
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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.