Childhood ObesityNCT03338257
Husky Reads Effectiveness in Increasing Produce Preference and Food Group Identification in Preschool Children
A study testing Husky Reads Intervention in people with Childhood Obesity, run by UConn Health at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Since 1998, UCONN undergraduate students have volunteered as part of a service- learning course to deliver a program called Husky Reads. Inspired by the nationally accepted American Academy of Pediatrics' program "Reach Out and Read," Husky Reads was first designed for promotion of health, nutrition habits and… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 35 to 71 months
- Conditions the study is for
- Childhood Obesity
- What is being tested?
- Husky Reads Intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 400 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 May 2017to 10 May 2023
- 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 35 to 71 months
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child
Who may be able to join
- child attending center or school based early care with high family enrollment in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)
Who cannot join
- child whose parent has signed the "opt out" portion of the notification form.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Husky Reads Evaluation: Measuring Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Recognition and Liking
Since 1998, UCONN undergraduate students have volunteered as part of a service- learning course to deliver a program called Husky Reads. Inspired by the nationally accepted American Academy of Pediatrics' program "Reach Out and Read," Husky Reads was first designed for promotion of health, nutrition habits and literacy by reading health-oriented books to young children in pediatric and health clinics. The Husky Reads curriculum now includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service- learning course at UConn or college students participating in the paid summer internship program deliver the preschool lessons. Each team of 2-3 undergraduate students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads lessons to on a weekly basis. This series targets children at an early age because early childhood is a pivotal time to influence the path towards healthy behaviors and away from obesity. The effectiveness of the Husky Reads curriculum on a preschool age child's correct identification and liking of fruits and vegetables has not been established. The proposed evaluation uses a pre-test/post- test control group design with paired data at the child level to explore whether children who participate in Husky Reads have increased odds of correctly identifying the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) "MyPlate" program (MyPlate) and food group concepts and trying or liking select fruits and vegetables.
Read the detailed description
Since 1998, University of Connecticut (UCONN) undergraduate students have volunteered as part of a service- learning course to deliver a program called Husky Reads. Inspired by the nationally accepted American Academy of Pediatrics' program "Reach Out and Read," Husky Reads was first designed for promotion of health, nutrition habits and literacy by reading health-oriented books to young children in pediatric and health clinics. The Husky Reads curriculum now includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Each lesson includes reading at least one children's book, an activity or game, and food tasting to complement learning objectives related to MyPlate and fruit/vegetable literacy. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service- learning course at UConn or college students participating in the paid summer internship program deliver the preschool lessons. Each team of 2-3 undergraduate students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads lessons to on a weekly basis. This series targets children at an early age because early childhood is a pivotal time to influence the path towards healthy behaviors and away from obesity. Providing food tastings and increasing exposure to foods like fruits and vegetables is especially relevant because food preferences are developed in early childhood. Early childhood is also an important time for introducing healthy behaviors because once obesity is established in childhood; it often tracks through to adulthood and is difficult to reverse through interventions.
The effectiveness of the Husky Reads curriculum on a preschool age child's MyPlate knowledge and correct identification and liking of fruits and vegetables has not been established. A more comprehensive evaluation is needed to establish if the program is effective and contributes to quality improvement efforts. Findings from a prior evaluation suggest the ability of preschoolers to identify blueberries, strawberries, carrots and broccoli increased significantly after participation in one Husky Reads lesson. Although the findings were promising, the evaluation design lacked a control group and relied on a classroom wide assessment with hands raised as a response rather than measuring whether the ability to identify the produce items changed for a given child after participation in Husky Reads. Therefore, a more thorough evaluation of whether Husky Reads helps children learn to identify select fruits and vegetables is still needed. Questions also remain whether Husky Reads increases the odds of a child tasting and/or liking select fruits and vegetables as well as recognition of MyPlate and foods in different food groups. The proposed evaluation uses a pre-test/post- test control group design with paired data at the child level to explore whether children who participate in Husky Reads have increased odds of identifying MyPlate and food group concepts , and correctly identifying,trying or liking select fruits and vegetables.
- Conditions
- Childhood Obesity
- Being tested
- Husky Reads Intervention
- Keywords
- Pre-school children, fruit and vegetable acceptance, service-learning, pre-school nutrition education, childhood obesity
- Medical subject headings
- Pediatric Obesity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Husky Reads InterventionBehavioural
The Husky Reads curriculum now includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Each lesson includes reading at least one children's book, an activity or game, and food tasting to complement learning objectives related to MyPlate and fruit/vegetable literacy. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service- learning course at UConn or college students participating in the paid summer internship program deliver the preschool lessons. Each team of 2-3 undergraduate students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads lessons to on a weekly basis.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Husky Reads Intervention | Experimental | The Husky Reads curriculum includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Each lesson includes reading at least one children's book, an activity or game, and sometimes food tasting to complement the learning objectives. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service-learning course at UCONN or college students participating in a paid summer internship deliver the program. Each team of 2-3 students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads on a weekly basis. Receives: Behavioral: Husky Reads Intervention |
| Wait list Control | No intervention | Programs on the wait list for Husky Reads, participate in the pre and post intervention testing but do not receive the program. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Identification of MyPlate
Ability to name MyPlate (Larsen et al)
Measured: Three week post 10-week intervention
Ability to place foods in MyPlate food groups
Measured by using the Food Group Game, informed by Building a Healthy Me! evaluation survey. (Larsen et al.)
Measured: Three week post 10-week intervention
Identification of specified fruits and vegetables
Identification using modified Carraway-Stage protocol
Measured: Three week post 10-week intervention
Preference for specified fruits and vegetables
Fruit and vegetable liking as measured by modified Carraway-Stage protocol
Measured: Three week post 10-week intervention
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Nov 2017
- Study start1 May 2017
- Primary completion10 May 2023
- Study completion10 May 2023
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 Childhood ObesityStudies 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Model description
- The evaluation follows a pre-test/post-test control group design with children nested within classrooms at center and school-based early care programs located in low-income communities or areas with high SNAP eligibility rates
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 400 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- UConn Health
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Ann m Ferris, PhD, Principal investigator, UConn HealthErin Havens, MPH, Study director, UConn Health
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03338257
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 17-069-3
- Other IDs
- 601305
- Status last verified
- Jun 2025
- First submitted
- 7 Nov 2017
- Last updated
- 5 Jun 2025
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided: This group will share raw data with developer of testing instrument.
Publications
Carraway-Stage V, Spangler H, Borges M, Goodell LS. Evaluation of a pictorial method to assess liking of familiar fruits and vegetables among preschool children. Appetite. 2014 Apr;75:11-20. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.12.011. Epub 2013 Dec 21.
PubMed 24365199Larsen AL, Liao Y, Alberts J, Huh J, Robertson T, Dunton GF. RE-AIM Analysis of a School-Based Nutrition Education Intervention in Kindergarteners. J Sch Health. 2017 Jan;87(1):36-46. doi: 10.1111/josh.12466.
PubMed 27917488
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Jun 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Husky Reads Evaluation: Measuring Changes in Fruit and Vegetable Recognition and Liking
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03338257
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 17-069-3
- Conditions
- Childhood Obesity
- Keywords
- Pre-school children, fruit and vegetable acceptance, service-learning, pre-school nutrition education, childhood obesity
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 400 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- UConn HealthUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 May 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 May 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 May 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 9 Nov 2017 (actual)
- 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.
Since 1998, UCONN undergraduate students have volunteered as part of a service- learning course to deliver a program called Husky Reads. Inspired by the nationally accepted American Academy of Pediatrics' program "Reach Out and Read," Husky Reads was first designed for promotion of health, nutrition habits and literacy by reading health-oriented books to young children in pediatric and health clinics. The Husky Reads curriculum now includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service- learning course at UConn or college students participating in the paid summer internship program deliver the preschool lessons. Each team of 2-3 undergraduate students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads lessons to on a weekly basis. This series targets children at an early age because early childhood is a pivotal time to influence the path towards healthy behaviors and away from obesity. The effectiveness of the Husky Reads curriculum on a preschool age child's correct identification and liking of fruits and vegetables has not been established. The proposed evaluation uses a pre-test/post- test control group design with paired data at the child level to explore whether children who participate in Husky Reads have increased odds of correctly identifying the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) "MyPlate" program (MyPlate) and food group concepts and trying or liking select fruits and vegetables.
Detailed description
Since 1998, University of Connecticut (UCONN) undergraduate students have volunteered as part of a service- learning course to deliver a program called Husky Reads. Inspired by the nationally accepted American Academy of Pediatrics' program "Reach Out and Read," Husky Reads was first designed for promotion of health, nutrition habits and literacy by reading health-oriented books to young children in pediatric and health clinics. The Husky Reads curriculum now includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Each lesson includes reading at least one children's book, an activity or game, and food tasting to complement learning objectives related to MyPlate and fruit/vegetable literacy. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service- learning course at UConn or college students participating in the paid summer internship program deliver the preschool lessons. Each team of 2-3 undergraduate students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads lessons to on a weekly basis. This series targets children at an early age because early childhood is a pivotal time to influence the path towards healthy behaviors and away from obesity. Providing food tastings and increasing exposure to foods like fruits and vegetables is especially relevant because food preferences are developed in early childhood. Early childhood is also an important time for introducing healthy behaviors because once obesity is established in childhood; it often tracks through to adulthood and is difficult to reverse through interventions.
The effectiveness of the Husky Reads curriculum on a preschool age child's MyPlate knowledge and correct identification and liking of fruits and vegetables has not been established. A more comprehensive evaluation is needed to establish if the program is effective and contributes to quality improvement efforts. Findings from a prior evaluation suggest the ability of preschoolers to identify blueberries, strawberries, carrots and broccoli increased significantly after participation in one Husky Reads lesson. Although the findings were promising, the evaluation design lacked a control group and relied on a classroom wide assessment with hands raised as a response rather than measuring whether the ability to identify the produce items changed for a given child after participation in Husky Reads. Therefore, a more thorough evaluation of whether Husky Reads helps children learn to identify select fruits and vegetables is still needed. Questions also remain whether Husky Reads increases the odds of a child tasting and/or liking select fruits and vegetables as well as recognition of MyPlate and foods in different food groups. The proposed evaluation uses a pre-test/post- test control group design with paired data at the child level to explore whether children who participate in Husky Reads have increased odds of identifying MyPlate and food group concepts , and correctly identifying,trying or liking select fruits and vegetables.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
- Model description
- The evaluation follows a pre-test/post-test control group design with children nested within classrooms at center and school-based early care programs located in low-income communities or areas with high SNAP eligibility rates
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Husky Reads Intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Husky Reads InterventionThe Husky Reads curriculum includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Each lesson includes reading at least one children's book, an activity or game, and sometimes food tasting to complement the learning objectives. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service-learning course at UCONN or college students participating in a paid summer internship deliver the program. Each team of 2-3 students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads on a weekly basis. |
| Wait list Control | No intervention | –Programs on the wait list for Husky Reads, participate in the pre and post intervention testing but do not receive the program. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 35 to 71 months
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- child attending center or school based early care with high family enrollment in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- child whose parent has signed the "opt out" portion of the notification form.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Husky Reads InterventionThe Husky Reads curriculum now includes a series of 10 lessons designed to introduce preschool-age children to MyPlate while improving fruit and vegetable literacy. Each lesson includes reading at least one children's book, an activity or game, and food tasting to complement learning objectives related to MyPlate and fruit/vegetable literacy. Undergraduate students enrolled in the Husky Reads service- learning course at UConn or college students participating in the paid summer internship program deliver the preschool lessons. Each team of 2-3 undergraduate students is assigned 2-3 early care classrooms to visit and deliver Husky Reads lessons to on a weekly basis. | Behavioural | Husky Reads Intervention |
Primary outcome
Identification of MyPlate
Time frame: Three week post 10-week intervention
Ability to name MyPlate (Larsen et al)
Ability to place foods in MyPlate food groups
Time frame: Three week post 10-week intervention
Measured by using the Food Group Game, informed by Building a Healthy Me! evaluation survey. (Larsen et al.)
Identification of specified fruits and vegetables
Time frame: Three week post 10-week intervention
Identification using modified Carraway-Stage protocol
Preference for specified fruits and vegetables
Time frame: Three week post 10-week intervention
Fruit and vegetable liking as measured by modified Carraway-Stage protocol
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 5 Jun 2025.
- Background: PubMed 24365199Carraway-Stage V, Spangler H, Borges M, Goodell LS. Evaluation of a pictorial method to assess liking of familiar fruits and vegetables among preschool children. Appetite. 2014 Apr;75:11-20. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.12.011. Epub 2013 Dec 21.
- Background: PubMed 27917488Larsen AL, Liao Y, Alberts J, Huh J, Robertson T, Dunton GF. RE-AIM Analysis of a School-Based Nutrition Education Intervention in Kindergarteners. J Sch Health. 2017 Jan;87(1):36-46. doi: 10.1111/josh.12466.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided. This group will share raw data with developer of testing instrument.
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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.
Ann m Ferris, PhD principal investigator
UConn Health
Erin Havens, MPH study director
UConn Health
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Husky Reads Intervention in people with Childhood Obesity, run by UConn Health 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 1 inclusion and 1 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 5 Jun 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?
Identification of MyPlate (time frame: Three week post 10-week intervention). The study lists 4 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT03338257, 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 5 Jun 2025.