Resilience to the Effects of Advertising in Children

Launched by PENN STATE UNIVERSITY · Sep 28, 2021

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, titled "Resilience to the Effects of Advertising in Children," is looking into how food advertisements affect children's eating habits and their potential to gain weight. Researchers want to understand why some children are more influenced by these ads than others. By studying the brain, behavior, and thinking patterns of children aged 7 to 9, the trial aims to identify traits that might help some kids resist overeating when they see food advertisements. This research is important because it can help us find ways to protect children from obesity, especially during the critical years before adolescence.

To participate, children must be generally healthy, speak English, and not have any learning disabilities or food allergies. Additionally, a parent who knows the child’s eating habits and behaviors must attend the study visits. The biological mother of the child should also have a specific body weight range, either on the lower or higher end of the scale. Participants will undergo various assessments, which may include brain scans, to explore how they respond to food advertising. Overall, this study hopes to uncover new insights that could help prevent childhood obesity.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Child Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. In order to be enrolled, children must be of good health based on parental self-report.
• • 2. Have no learning disabilities (e.g., ADHD).
• • 3. Have no allergies to the foods or ingredients used in the study.
• • 4. Not be claustrophobic.
• • 5. Not be taking any medications known to influence body weight, taste, food intake, behavior, or blood flow.
• • 6. Be 7-9 years-old at enrollment.
• • 7. The child must speak English.
• Parent Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. The parent who has the most knowledge of the child's eating behavior, media access, sleep and behavior must be available to attend the visits with their child. This would be decided among the parents.
• • 2. The biological mother must have a body mass index either between 18.5 - 25 kg/m2 (low-risk group) or greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (high-risk group). One parent can report on both parents' BW and height.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• Children would be excluded if:
• • 1. They are not within the age requirements (\< than 7 years old or \> than 9 years-old at baseline).
• • 2. If they are taking cold or allergy medication, or other medications known to influence cognitive function, taste, appetite, or blood flow.
• • 3. If they don't speak English.
• • 4. If they are colorblind
• • 5. If they report being claustrophobic.
• • 6. if they have a learning disability, ADD/ADHD, language delays, autism or other neurological or psychological conditions.
• • 7. if they have a pre-existing medical condition such as type I or type II diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, Cushing's syndrome, Down's syndrome, food allergies, severe lactose intolerance, Prader-Willi syndrome, HIV, cancer, renal failure, or cerebral palsy.
• • 8. if they are allergic to foods or ingredients used in the study.
• • 9. if they have tattoos, permanent makeup, dental ware, pacemakers, or metal implants that would preclude safe completion of the MRI.
• • 10. if the child has had an X-ray in the month prior to Visits 1 and 6. If so, they will be scheduled at a later date.
• Parent Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. if the biological mother has a body mass index \< 18.5 kg/m2
• • 2. if the mother is between 25-30 kg/m2.
• • 3. if the parent is unable to attend the study visits
• • 4. if the family reports plans to move away from the area in the next year.