Understanding how feeding practices and genetics affect childhood obesity
Official title: Characterizing the Relationships of Genetic Risk and Parental Coercive Feeding Practices With Appetitive Traits and Adiposity Gain Across Early Life.
Run by Trustees of Dartmouth College · NCT06534541 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how different feeding styles and kids' genetics affect the risk of obesity in preschoolers aged 2.5 to 5 years.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 27 Months to 72 Months |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 330 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Trustees of Dartmouth College Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Hanover, New Hampshire) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | July 18, 2024 |
| Main results expected | August 2028 |
| Study ends | August 2029 |
| Registry record updated | October 15, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT06534541 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates include children aged 2.25 to 2.99 years old with normal vision and their parents who have primary custody and meet specific criteria.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with food allergies, dietary restrictions, or medical conditions affecting appetite or attention may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This project investigates the relationships between coercive control feeding practices, children's appetitive traits, and dietary intake during preschool years. It aims to understand how these factors contribute to obesity risk by assessing children's genetic predisposition to obesity and their attentional bias to food using eye-tracking technology. The study will follow a cohort of children aged 2.5 years, with repeated assessments every six months until they reach five years old. By examining these interconnections, the research seeks to identify modifiable influences on childhood obesity.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could provide insights into effective interventions for preventing childhood obesity by modifying feeding practices.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown success in understanding the impact of feeding practices on childhood obesity, but this approach using genetic risk and eye-tracking is relatively novel.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * parent must be ≥18 years old, have primary custody of their child for ≥75% of the month, comprehend verbal and written English and not plan to move out of Vermont or New Hampshire during the study timeframe. * Children must be ≥2.25 and ≤2.99 years old at first visit and have normal or corrected-to-normal vision to enable eye tracking. Exclusion Criteria: * Children with any relevant food allergies or dietary restrictions, taking medication or with a medical condition that affects appetite or attention, or with a relative enrolled in the study will be excluded.
Where it's running
-
Dartmotuh College
Hanover, New Hampshire, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Jennifer Emond, PhD — Dartmouth College
- Study coordinator: Jennifer Emond, PhD
- Email: jennifer.emond@dartmouth.edu
- Phone: 1-603-646-5709
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
-
Progressive Neuromuscular Stabilization vs. Aerobic Exercise for Obesity in Children
This study tests whether technology-assisted progressive neuromuscular stabilization exercises can improve body composition and balance in children with obesity, compared with standard aerobic exercise.
-
MRI study to see how obesity treatments affect body and organ fat in severely obese kids
This study tests whether adding a GLP-1 receptor agonist to lifestyle changes helps improve body composition and organ fat in adolescents with severe obesity.
-
Bottle flow-rate test for babies and feeding patterns
This study tests whether different bottle nipple flow rates affect how much milk a 4–6 month old infant drinks, how they feed, and their sleep, by watching 220 mother–infant pairs.
-
Mountain West Family Healthy Weight Program
This project will test whether text message outreach and direct enrollment in a community healthy‑weight program help lower‑income families with a 5–12 year old child with obesity sign up for and stay engaged in the program.
-
Exercise after pregnancy to activate infant brown fat
This study will test if a mother's exercise during pregnancy and after birth changes her breast milk so it increases her infant's brown fat activity and energy use.
-
Phentermine to help teens with obesity
This Phase IIb trial will test whether 16 mg of phentermine daily can help overweight adolescents aged 12 to under 18 compared with placebo over a year.
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.