Clinical trial NCT01414699: The Influence of Dietary Variety and Course Sequence on Fruit Intake in Preschool-Aged Children
Official title: The Influence of Dietary Variety and Course Sequence on Fruit Intake in Preschool-Aged Children
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Caloric Intake
Keywords: dietary variety
course sequence
preschool
child feeding
Lead sponsor: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2011-08-11
Enrollment: 16
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 3
Maximum age (years): 6
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER
Primary purpose: BASIC_SCIENCE

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which manipulation of dietary variety and course sequence affects fruit intake and overall energy intake in preschool-aged children.

Detailed description: In the past two decades overweight and obesity rates in children (ages 2-19) have risen from 5% to 17%, with toddlers (ages 2-5) at 10%. Among children and adolescents the consumption of low-energy-dense foods, such as fruit and vegetables (F\&Vs), remain below current recommendations. Therefore, strategies to increase low-energy-dense F\&V intake and decrease high-energy-dense food intake aimed at young children are essential. Antecedents, or cues, can trigger eating. Therefore, manipulating food presentation can be utilized to produce certain behaviors. Dietary variety and course sequence are two examples of this relationship. It has been well established that high dietary variety leads to greater consumption patterns compared to low DV diets in adults. High DV has only been tested with problematic foods, and not with the goal of increasing F\&V intake. Additionally, serving a first course meal can act as a preload to decrease intake of the second course entrée. Dietary variety and course sequence manipulations have been experimentally tested with caloric intake goals but never with the goal of increasing F\&V intake. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which manipulation of dietary variety and course sequence affects fruit intake and overall energy intake in preschool-aged children.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* All children that are ≥3 years of age enrolled in the ELC preschool with parental consent can participate.
* Eligible children must also like applesauce, peaches and cheese cubes, and be able to consume foods with a spoon.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Children allergic to applesauce, peaches, or chocolate pudding or who are lactose-intolerant will not be included in the study.
* Did not attend all feeding sessions.
* Did not consume more than 5 grams from any of the foods on an occasion.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Total grams of snack consumed.
timeFrame: 4 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Knoxville
country: United States
facility: Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory
state: Tennessee
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
name: Hollie A Raynor, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
name: Chelsi C Cardoso, BS
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: