Why preschoolers from low-income families gain weight faster over the summer
Official title: Contextual Determinants of Accelerated Weight Gain During Summer Among Preschoolers from Low-income Households
Funded at University of South Carolina at Columbia · NIH-11295468 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at what causes faster summer weight gain in preschool children from low-income families and where they spend their time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of South Carolina at Columbia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Columbia, United States) |
| Project start | April 16, 2024 |
| Project end | February 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $633,063 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK139614-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295468 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are preschool-aged children (about 3–4 years old) from low-income families (≈185% of poverty level or Medicaid eligible).
✕Less likely to help
Children who are older than preschool age, not from low-income households, or whose families are unwilling to share routine/activity information or use wearable monitors are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
From your perspective as a parent, the team will follow 3–4-year-old children from low-income households through the school year and the summer to track changes in weight and activity. Children will have height/weight measured and may wear small activity monitors, while parents will answer questions about childcare, routines, and places the child visits. The researchers will compare children who attend center-based childcare to those who do not and will map where children spend time during summer months. Information will be used to pinpoint daily routines, locations, or care patterns that relate to faster summer weight gain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific routines, places, or childcare patterns that help prevent excess summer weight gain in young children.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has shown preschoolers often gain weight faster in summer and that center-based care is linked to lower obesity risk, but the specific places and day-to-day behaviors driving summer weight gain remain understudied.
Where this research is happening
-
University of South Carolina at Columbia
Columbia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Beets, Michael W — University of South Carolina at Columbia
- Study coordinator: Beets, Michael W
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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.