Influence of Parents and Friends on Children and Adolescents

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy

• Registration Number: NCT00875576
• Lead Sponsor: University at Buffalo

Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to directly compare the effects of parents and friends on overweight and non-overweight children and adolescents' food intake and food selection using a cross-sectional design. Overweight and non-overweight children (5-6 year-old) and adolescents (13-14 year-old) will share a meal with a friend and with a parent on separate occasions. Participants' food selection and the amount of food they consumed will be compared across conditions.

Hypothesis 1: The investigators hypothesize that overweight children and adolescents will select more unhealthy food items and eat more in the presence of an overweight friend than when eating with a lean friend; whereas lean participants eating with an overweight friend will eat a similar amount of food than lean youth eating with a lean friend.

Hypothesis 2: The investigators predict that overweight children and adolescents (but not lean children and teens) will consume more food in the presence of their mother than in the presence of a friend.

Hypothesis 3: The investigators also predict that overweight youth's energy intake will be related to parental prompts.

Hypothesis 4: The investigators expect greater similarities in terms of food selection and food intake between adolescents and their friend than between adolescents and their parent.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-01
• Status Verified: 2009-04
• Study First Submitted: 2009-04-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-04-02
• Study First Posted: 2009-04-03
• Primary Completion: 2010-06
• Study Completion: 2010-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2010-06-25
• Last Update Posted: 2010-06-28

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 40

Inclusion Criteria

• Boys and girls ages 5-6 yrs and 12-14 yrs and their mothers
• Children must have a BMI greater than or equal to 15th percentile for their age
• Children and their mothers must have at least a moderate liking of the study foods used

Exclusion Criteria

• Participants should not have any food allergies
• Participants should have no dietary restraints
• Participants should have no psychopathology that can limit food choice and alter eating
• Participants should have no developmental disabilities that can limit food choice and alter eating
• Participants cannot have a cold or upper respiratory distress that could influence taste, appetite or olfactory sensory responsiveness
• Participants cannot be on any medications that could influence taste, appetite or olfactory sensory responsiveness

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
amount of food consumed	Measured once with a friend and once with a mother, both occurring within a week of each other.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

University at Buffalo, Division of Behavioral Medicine; 🇺🇸 Buffalo, New York, United States