How children's food and activity preferences and decision-making relate to weight over time
Official title: Trajectories of Reinforcement, Activity, and Consumption in Kids
Run by State University of New York at Buffalo · NCT07229508 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will see if changes in how 9–14-year-old children value food and activity and how they make choices predict weight gain in children from low-income BIPOC and Hispanic families.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 8 Years to 11 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 250 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | State University of New York at Buffalo Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Buffalo, New York) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | November 6, 2025 |
| Main results expected | October 1, 2030 |
| Study ends | October 1, 2030 |
| Registry record updated | November 17, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07229508 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are children aged about 8.5–11.11 years who are in the overweight/obese range, live primarily with a participating parent, and come from low-SES BIPOC or Hispanic families without medical or psychiatric conditions that affect weight or activity.
✕Probably not a fit
Children with medical causes of obesity, stature below the 5th percentile, major psychopathology, activity-limiting conditions, relevant medication use, or who do not spend most of their time in the participating parent's household are unlikely to receive benefit from participation.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
A cohort-sequential observational design will follow two cohorts of children (starting ages about 8.5–9.11 and 10.5–11.11 years) for three years to cover development from roughly 9–14 years. Researchers will repeatedly measure the reinforcing value of food and activity, delay discounting (choice preferences), food liking, physical activity, and growth (height/weight/BMI). The sample focuses on children from low socioeconomic status BIPOC and Hispanic families who are in the overweight/obese range, with exclusions for medical, psychiatric, or physical conditions or medications that affect appetite or activity. No interventions are given; the aim is to map developmental behavioral trajectories that could precede or predict excess weight gain.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify early behavioral markers to target prevention and tailor interventions to reduce childhood obesity.
How similar studies have gone: Prior cross-sectional and some longitudinal research links high food reinforcement and steeper delay discounting with overeating and higher BMI, but long-term cohort data specifically in low-SES BIPOC youth are limited.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Male and female children * Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) or Hispanic families * Children from low SES families (as defined by household education, eligibility for government assistance) * Children in overweight/obese category (defined by range in each cohort) Exclusion Criteria: * Medical causes for obesity * Stature below the 5th percentile * Physical activity restrictions * Psychopathology * Medication use that affects activity or appetite * Children that spend less than 65% of their time in participating parent's household * BMI percentile criteria * Liking of study foods and activities * Dietary restrictions and food allergies
Where it's running
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State University of New York at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Leonard H Epstein, PhD — SUNY-University at Buffalo
- Study coordinator: Mary J Hite, BA
- Email: maryjohi@buffalo.edu
- Phone: 7168292261
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.