Clinical trial NCT02207049: The Effect of Snack Consumption on Energy Intake in Preschoolers
Official title: The Effect of Snack Consumption on Energy Intake in Preschoolers
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Energy Intake
Snacks
Children, Preschool
Lead sponsor: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2014-08-01
Enrollment: 20
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 3
Maximum age (years): 5
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: The purpose of this pilot study will be to examine the influence of providing snacks on consumption of overall energy intake in children aged 2-5 years in the Early Learning Center (ELC) at the University of Tennessee.

Detailed description: Providing snacks to children is widely recommended for appetite regulation and assisting with meeting nutritional guidelines.1 Currently, snacks contribute a larger portion of dietary intake in children than in previous years.2,3 Additionally, observational research has found that self-reported, low-nutrient-dense snack consumption, has increased among preschoolers (ages 2-to-6 years) over the past 20 years, leading to an increase of total daily energy intake.3 However, no experimental studies examining the influence of snack intake on energy consumption in children have been conducted.2 Therefore, at this time it is not clear how snacks impact appetite regulation or energy intake, especially in young children.

Thus, the purpose of this pilot study will be to examine the influence of providing snacks on consumption of overall energy intake in children aged 2-5 years in the Early Learning Center (ELC) at the University of Tennessee. Children will be provided with 3-to-5 ad libitum eating occasions over the course of a day for three sessions. To test the effects of providing snacks to preschoolers on consumption of food throughout the day, the food will be provided in three ways in the three different sessions: 1) children will be provided three meals (TM); 2) children will be provided three meals and two snacks, with total amount of food provided in the day the same as TM (M+S); and 3) children will be provided three meals and two snacks with total amount provided in the meals equal to TM and total amount provided in the snacks equal to M+S (TM+S).

Primary Hypothesis:

1) Energy consumed from food and beverages will be greatest during the TM+S session, followed by M+S, and then TM.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* 3 -to- 5 years of age
* enrolled at the Early Learning Center for the full day program
* have guardian consent to participate
* like the foods served

Exclusion Criteria:

* have allergies or intolerances to the foods being served
* not able to use a spoon
* did not attend all feeding sessions

Primary outcomes:
measure: Total calories of the food and beverages consumed.
timeFrame: 3 weeks
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Knoxville
country: United States
facility: Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory
state: Tennessee
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Tennesseem Knoxville
name: Hollie A Raynor, PhD, RD, LDN
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Allen RE, Myers AL. Nutrition in toddlers. Am Fam Physician. 2006 Nov 1;74(9):1527-32.
citation: Smith-Petersen MN, Larson CB, Cochran W. Local chemotherapy with primary closure of septic wounds by means of drainage and irrigation cannulae : M. N. Smith-Petersen MD (1886-1953), Carroll B. Larson MD, Williams Cochran MD . The 12th president of the AAOS 1943 (MNS-P). Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2008 Jan;466(1):104-12. doi: 10.1007/s11999-007-0023-4.
citation: Ford CN, Slining MM, Popkin BM. Trends in dietary intake among US 2- to 6-year-old children, 1989-2008. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013 Jan;113(1):35-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.08.022.