OverweightNCT01087346
Mothers' Thoughts About Kids and Eating
A study testing Reading Information in people with Overweight, run by National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Summary: A few studies have explored the effects of providing parents with health information about their children. However, more information is needed about the relationship between awareness of health information and changes in behavior. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 100 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Overweight
- What is being tested?
- Reading Information
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,148 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 19 Nov 2010to 12 Jul 2019
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 100 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Study 1:
- All participants will be healthy adult women over the age of 18 (though in practice the age range is likely to be constrained naturally by the required age of the index child).
- having a self-reported body mass index of greater than or equal to 25
- having some amount of familiarity with their family health history
- having a biological child between the ages of 4 and 5 inclusive, who lives in the same household at least 1 day out of the past 30 days, and who has no major food allergies or diet-related health conditions, developmental delays, or disabilities
- having the ability to read and write in English
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- being able to come to the NIH Clinical Center for one visit
- All participants will be healthy adults over the age of 18 (though in practice the age range is likely to be constrained naturally by the required age of the index child).
- having a self-perception of being overweight
- having a biological child between the ages of 3 and 7
- inclusive (of any weight), who has no food allergies to buffet items (e.g., dairy, wheat, fruit) or diet-related health conditions, developmental delays, or disabilities that would severely limit food
- choices on the virtual buffet and who does not have a vegan or gluten-free diet
- self-reporting that the parent is responsible for feeding to the child to criterion
- having the ability to read and write in English
- being able to come to the NIH Clinical Center for one visit
Who cannot join
- having a vestibular or seizure disorder;
- having a high propensity for motion sickness;
- known pregnancy; (4) uncorrected low vision or hearing;
- inability to complete tasks in the virtual environment;
- past or current history of eating disorder;
- NHGRI employees
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- Study 2:
- having a vestibular or seizure disorder
- having a high propensity for motion sickness
- known pregnancy
- uncorrected low vision or hearing
- inability to complete tasks in the virtual environment
- past or current history of eating disorder
- NHGRI employees
- having another household member or another biological parent of their index child having participated in the study
- women who report being pregnant
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center
Bethesda, Maryland, 20892
About this study
Official title: Mothers' Thoughts About What Their Children Eat
Summary:
- A few studies have explored the effects of providing parents with health information about their children. However, more information is needed about the relationship between awareness of health information and changes in behavior. This study will investigate the impact of health information on choices that parents make about food for their children.
- Mothers and fathers with a biological child between the ages of 3-7 years old may be eligible for this study. Participants are recruited from the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
- In this study, before visiting the research center, participants will answer online questionnaires about their children's health and eating habits and their own health and eating habits.
- At the research center, participants will use a virtual reality model of a buffet to make food choices for their children. Participants will be introduced to the computer-based virtual buffet scenario as a training session to prepare for using the buffet during the experimental context. While in the virtual environment, participants wear a virtual reality helmet that allows them to see the virtual buffet scenario.
- After the training session, participants will watch an interactive computer presentation about a health topic.
- Participants will then visit the virtual buffet scenario again for the formal session, and will choose a virtual lunch meal for their child as before.
- At the end of their visit, participants will complete post-test questionnaires about their experiences during the experiment and other research-related information.
- Participants will be asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire online a week after their visit
- The total time for the study visit is approximately 90 minutes. The participants children will not be asked to take part in the study.
Read more
Eligibility:
- Men and Women at least 18 years of age who have a biological child between the ages of 3 and 7 who has no major diet-related health conditions, developmental delays, or disabilities. You may not take part in the study if you have a history of seizures and/or are pregnant.
Read the detailed description
Purpose
This study will investigate the impact of health information on choices that parents make about food for their children. Participants will use a virtual reality model of a buffet to make food choices.
Mothers and fathers with a biological child between the ages of 3-7 years old may be eligible for this study. Participants are recruited from the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Study participants will complete THREE sets of surveys and one task. Participants will complete a web-based survey before coming in for a study appointment. When participants arrive for their appointment, they will watch an interactive presentation on health information. Next, participants will interact in a virtual reality environment and will be asked to select virtual lunch for their child from a buffet. While in the virtual environment, a participant wears a head-mounted virtual reality headset that allows him/her to see elements of the environment. Participants will complete an additional computer-based survey. Finally, participants will be asked to complete an online questionnaire a week following their visit. The total time for the study visit is approximately 90 minutes. The participants children will not be asked to take part in the study.
Detailed Description
This study will investigate issues around the impact of health information on choices that parents make about food for their children. Participants will perform tasks that include completing computer-based surveys, watching an interactive computer-based presentation about health information, participating in a virtual reality model by selecting virtual lunch for their children from a buffet, and completing a computed-based exit survey. As part of the study, participants will wear a virtual reality helmet and be immersed in a buffet where they will select virtual lunch for their child.
For this study, we are only recruiting men and women that have a biological child between the ages of 3-7 years old. You may not take part in the study if you have a history of seizures and/or are pregnant.
- Conditions
- Overweight
- Being tested
- Reading Information
- Keywords
- Risk Perception, Obesity Risk, Healthy Volunteer, HV
- Medical subject headings
- Overweight
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Reading InformationBehavioural
Reading information about risk factors for obesity among children
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Active comparator | Information about child health Receives: Behavioral: Reading Information |
| Family Environment Information | Experimental | Information about family environment factors in children's obesity risk Receives: Behavioral: Reading Information |
| Gene times Family Environment Information | Experimental | Information about interactions between genetic and family environment factors in children's obesity risk Receives: Behavioral: Reading Information |
| Genetic Information | Experimental | Information about genetic factors in child obesity risk Receives: Behavioral: Reading Information |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The number of calories selected for participant's index child in a virtual buffet food selection task
The number of calories selected for participant's index child in a virtual buffet food selection task
Measured: 1 visit
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Mar 2010 (estimated)
- Study start19 Nov 2010
- Primary completion12 Jul 2019
- Study completion12 Jul 2019
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for OverweightStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Participant
- Enrolment
- 1,148 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
- Sponsor type
- US National Institutes of Health
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Susan J Persky, Ph.D., Principal investigator, National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01087346
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 100076
- Other IDs
- 10-HG-0076
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 13 Mar 2010
- Last updated
- 24 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Bouhlal S, Abrams LR, McBride CM, Persky S. Cognitive and affective factors linking mothers' perceived weight history to child feeding. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Nov;72(11):1583-1591. doi: 10.1038/s41430-017-0071-0. Epub 2018 Feb 6.
PubMed 29410480Bouhlal S, McBride CM, Ward DS, Persky S. Drivers of overweight mothers' food choice behaviors depend on child gender. Appetite. 2015 Jan;84:154-60. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.09.024. Epub 2014 Oct 6.
PubMed 25300916
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Mothers' Thoughts About What Their Children Eat
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01087346
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 100076
- Conditions
- Overweight
- Keywords
- Risk Perception, Obesity Risk, Healthy Volunteer, HV
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,148 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)US National Institutes of Health
- Study start
- 19 Nov 2010 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 12 Jul 2019 (actual)
- Study completion
- 12 Jul 2019 (actual)
- First posted
- 16 Mar 2010 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Summary:
- A few studies have explored the effects of providing parents with health information about their children. However, more information is needed about the relationship between awareness of health information and changes in behavior. This study will investigate the impact of health information on choices that parents make about food for their children.
- Mothers and fathers with a biological child between the ages of 3-7 years old may be eligible for this study. Participants are recruited from the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
- In this study, before visiting the research center, participants will answer online questionnaires about their children's health and eating habits and their own health and eating habits.
- At the research center, participants will use a virtual reality model of a buffet to make food choices for their children. Participants will be introduced to the computer-based virtual buffet scenario as a training session to prepare for using the buffet during the experimental context. While in the virtual environment, participants wear a virtual reality helmet that allows them to see the virtual buffet scenario.
- After the training session, participants will watch an interactive computer presentation about a health topic.
- Participants will then visit the virtual buffet scenario again for the formal session, and will choose a virtual lunch meal for their child as before.
- At the end of their visit, participants will complete post-test questionnaires about their experiences during the experiment and other research-related information.
- Participants will be asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire online a week after their visit
- The total time for the study visit is approximately 90 minutes. The participants children will not be asked to take part in the study.
Eligibility:
- Men and Women at least 18 years of age who have a biological child between the ages of 3 and 7 who has no major diet-related health conditions, developmental delays, or disabilities. You may not take part in the study if you have a history of seizures and/or are pregnant.
Detailed description
Purpose
This study will investigate the impact of health information on choices that parents make about food for their children. Participants will use a virtual reality model of a buffet to make food choices.
Mothers and fathers with a biological child between the ages of 3-7 years old may be eligible for this study. Participants are recruited from the Washington, DC metropolitan area.
Study participants will complete THREE sets of surveys and one task. Participants will complete a web-based survey before coming in for a study appointment. When participants arrive for their appointment, they will watch an interactive presentation on health information. Next, participants will interact in a virtual reality environment and will be asked to select virtual lunch for their child from a buffet. While in the virtual environment, a participant wears a head-mounted virtual reality headset that allows him/her to see elements of the environment. Participants will complete an additional computer-based survey. Finally, participants will be asked to complete an online questionnaire a week following their visit. The total time for the study visit is approximately 90 minutes. The participants children will not be asked to take part in the study.
Detailed Description
This study will investigate issues around the impact of health information on choices that parents make about food for their children. Participants will perform tasks that include completing computer-based surveys, watching an interactive computer-based presentation about health information, participating in a virtual reality model by selecting virtual lunch for their children from a buffet, and completing a computed-based exit survey. As part of the study, participants will wear a virtual reality helmet and be immersed in a buffet where they will select virtual lunch for their child.
For this study, we are only recruiting men and women that have a biological child between the ages of 3-7 years old. You may not take part in the study if you have a history of seizures and/or are pregnant.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Basic science
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind (participant)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Active comparator | Behavioral: Reading InformationInformation about child health |
| Family Environment Information | Experimental | Behavioral: Reading InformationInformation about family environment factors in children's obesity risk |
| Gene times Family Environment Information | Experimental | Behavioral: Reading InformationInformation about interactions between genetic and family environment factors in children's obesity risk |
| Genetic Information | Experimental | Behavioral: Reading InformationInformation about genetic factors in child obesity risk |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 100 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (15 listed)
- All participants will be healthy adult women over the age of 18 (though in practice the age range is likely to be constrained naturally by the required age of the index child).
- having a self-reported body mass index of greater than or equal to 25
- having some amount of familiarity with their family health history
- having a biological child between the ages of 4 and 5 inclusive, who lives in the same household at least 1 day out of the past 30 days, and who has no major food allergies or diet-related health conditions, developmental delays, or disabilities
- having the ability to read and write in English
Key exclusion criteria (16 listed)
- having a vestibular or seizure disorder;
- having a high propensity for motion sickness;
- known pregnancy; (4) uncorrected low vision or hearing;
- inability to complete tasks in the virtual environment;
- past or current history of eating disorder;
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Reading InformationReading information about risk factors for obesity among children | Behavioural | Control, Family Environment Information, Gene times Family Environment Information, Genetic Information |
Primary outcome
The number of calories selected for participant's index child in a virtual buffet food selection task
Time frame: 1 visit
The number of calories selected for participant's index child in a virtual buffet food selection task
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Nov 2025.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 29410480Bouhlal S, Abrams LR, McBride CM, Persky S. Cognitive and affective factors linking mothers' perceived weight history to child feeding. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2018 Nov;72(11):1583-1591. doi: 10.1038/s41430-017-0071-0. Epub 2018 Feb 6.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 25300916Bouhlal S, McBride CM, Ward DS, Persky S. Drivers of overweight mothers' food choice behaviors depend on child gender. Appetite. 2015 Jan;84:154-60. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2014.09.024. Epub 2014 Oct 6.
- NIH Clinical Center Detailed Web PageLink provided by the sponsor.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Susan J Persky, Ph.D. principal investigator
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Reading Information in people with Overweight, run by National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 15 inclusion and 16 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Nov 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
The number of calories selected for participant's index child in a virtual buffet food selection task (time frame: 1 visit). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01087346, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Nov 2025.