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Childhood ObesityGHKNCT05940675

Generation Healthy Kids: A Cluster-randomized Trial of a Multi-component, Multi-setting Intervention

A study testing Food and Nutrition, Physical Activity (FitFirst) and Sleep and screen media in people with Childhood Obesity and Well-Being, Psychological, run by University of Copenhagen at 2 sites in Denmark.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The GHK intervention was developed according to the United Kingdom Medical Research Council's framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions. A pilot- and feasibility study was conducted during December 2022-April 2023, and the intervention was subsequently adapted and adjusted. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 6 to 11 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
What is being tested?
Food and Nutrition, Physical Activity (FitFirst) and Sleep and screen media
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
1,372 participants
Where
2 sitesDenmark
Study dates
14 Aug 2023to 30 Jun 2025
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 6 to 11 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • All children attending 1st or 2nd grade in the recruited schools

Who cannot join

  • No exclusion criteria will be applied. If parents, teachers or research staff judge that a child cannot participate in certain parts of the intervention or measurement schedule, e.g. due to severe allergies, chronic diseases or mental/physical disabilities, the child will be eligible to participate in the remaining parts of the study.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Denmark2 sites
  • 11 schools in the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand

    Copenhagen, Capital Region and Region Zealand

  • 12 Schools in Region of Southern Denmark

    Odense, Region Syddanmark, 5230

Other trials in Denmark

About this study

Official title: Generation Healthy Kids: A Cluster-randomized Trial of a Multi-component, Multi-setting Intervention to Promote Healthy Weight and Wellbeing in Danish School-aged Children

The GHK intervention was developed according to the United Kingdom Medical Research Council's framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions. A pilot- and feasibility study was conducted during December 2022-April 2023, and the intervention was subsequently adapted and adjusted.

The GHK main trial is a two-school-year cluster-randomized school- and community trial designed to investigate the effect of the multi-setting, multi-component GHK intervention program on weight development, health and wellbeing in Danish children aged 6-11 years. The trial will include 24 schools in Denmark (12 intervention and 12 control).

The primary aim of the cluster-randomized trial is to investigate whether the GHK intervention program can promote healthy body composition as measured by fat mass (FM) in the intervention group compared with the control group. We hypothesize that the intervention will result in less FM gain in the intervention group compared with the control group over the two school-year study period.

Read the detailed description

Generation Healthy Kids is a cluster-randomized school and community trial in which 24 schools will be randomly allocated to intervention or control. Schools are evenly distributed in two areas of Denmark: DK-EAST (Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand) and DK-WEST (Region of Southern Denmark). The overall study objective is to investigate if a 2-school-year multi-setting, multi-component intervention focusing on healthy diets, physical activity, sleep and screen media habits in the school and local community can promote healthy weight and body composition in children who are in 1st and 2nd grade at inclusion (i.e., age 6-9 years at inclusion). We will also investigate the intervention's effects on dietary intake and nutritional status; food literacy; family- and school meal culture, physical literacy, activity levels, and fitness; sleep and screen media habits; growth; cardio metabolic health; cognitive and motor functions; school performance; and mental health and well-being. Furthermore, we will evaluate the context, implementation and working mechanisms of the intervention.

In continuation of the above, we will investigate if the intervention can reduce social inequality in the outcomes, as well as explore potential effect modifiers such as sex, ethnicity, implementation levels, genetics, epigenetics etc. We will also explore associations between sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors and outcomes cross-sectionally and longitudinally and use these data to validate and compare relevant measurement tools.

The innovative aspects of the Generation Healthy Kids study are the combination of an intervention targeting several important risk factors for excessive weight gain (dietary habits, physical activity, sleep, and screen time) with community capacity building and a systems approach. The unique combination is closely monitored for effect as well as process. The integrated intervention program will be distinctive in combining already tested effective intervention strategies with intervention components developed using co-creation and a systems mapping and working in varying settings of the child's life. Systems thinking will furthermore be used to ensure that a health equity lens is employed to understand the relationship between obesity and health inequalities locally. To reach children and families with low socio-economic status, focus will be on developing interventions that make healthy choices easy by creating healthy environments around the children, both at school and during leisure time.

Being tested
Food and Nutrition, Physical Activity (FitFirst), Sleep and screen media, Community capacity building
Keywords
Obesity, Well-being, Physical activity, Sleep, Screen time, Community intervention, Socioeconomic Disparities in Health, Diet
Medical subject headings
Pediatric Obesity, Psychological Well-Being, Sedentary Behavior, Feeding Behavior, Obesity, Motor Activity

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Food and NutritionBehavioural

    A key element is that children receive a free of charge healthy do-it-yourself school lunch 4 days per week. The meals adhere to the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations and the Danish Food-Based Dietary Guidelines with focus on fish, wholegrains, fruits and vegetables and drinking water as well as stimulation of children's food literacy. Other intervention components involve the after school clubs, local retail stores and the parents.

  • Physical Activity (FitFirst)Behavioural

    To ensure that all children reach the recommended 3x30 minutes of vigorous activity per week, we will implement three weekly 40-minute sessions in the school curriculum. These sessions will be carried out throughout the study period and will encompass modified and varied sporting activities and games, which promote motivation, physical literacy, active involvement of all children, and high training intensity.

  • Sleep and screen mediaBehavioural

    The aim of this component is to promote healthy sleep and screen media behaviours. Sleep and screen media recommendations will be presented for parents at three parent workshops and in electronic infographics. Teachers/pedagogues will facilitate small assignments on screen media and sleep practices with children during school time. Children will talk about and reflect upon screen media and sleep practices in their family, based on assignments and material from e.g., Medierådet (The Danish Media Council). The results of the children's assignments will be presented to their parents at later workshops. This is done to integrate the children's perspective in the parent workshops, especially in relation to screen media habits.

  • Community capacity buildingBehavioural

    Community capacity building in selected local communities. To promote healthier eating, children and families need to be supported within their local community by food environments that make the healthy choice the easy choice and not a challenge in their everyday life. To promote physical activity, the children will be invited to participate in activities in the local sports clubs including camps in the holidays.

Study groups in NCT05940675
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Generation Healthy Kids interventionExperimentalThe intervention focuses on food and nutrition, physical activity, sleep and screen media habits, and engagement of the local stakeholders.
Receives: Behavioral: Food and Nutrition; Behavioral: Physical Activity (FitFirst); Behavioral: Sleep and screen media; Behavioral: Community capacity building
ControlNo interventionThe schools will continue with their regular school schedules.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Fat mass in kg

    Between group difference in change in fat mass measured by bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270).

    Measured: Baseline and 18-20 months

Secondary outcomes (10)
  1. Fat mass in kg (2)

    Between group difference in change in fat mass measured by a bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270).

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  2. Fat free mass in kg

    Between group difference in change in fat free mass measured by a bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270).

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  3. Fat mass index in kg/m2

    Between group difference in change in fat mass index measured by a bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270).

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  4. Fat free mass index in kg/m2

    Between group difference in change in fat free mass index measured by a bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270).

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  5. Fat-Free-Mass-to-Fat-Mass ratio

    Between group difference in change in FFM-to-FM ratio measured by a bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270).

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  6. % Fat Mass

    Between group difference in change in % FM in kg measured by a bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270).

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  7. Height in cm

    Between group difference in change in standing height measured using a portable stadiometer.

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  8. Weight status in %

    Between group difference in change in prevalence of children with underweight, normalweight, overweight and obesity, based on the cutoffs defined by Cole et al. and the International Task Force of Obesity. Body weight is measured by a bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270) and height by using a portable stadiometer.

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  9. BMI z-score

    Between group difference in change in BMI z-score based on WHO references. Weight and height is measured using weight from the bioimpedance analysis (InBody 270) and a portable stadiometer, respectively.

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

  10. Waist circumference in mm

    Between group difference in change in waist circumference to the nearest mm by a non-elastic measuring tape at the level of the umbilicus.

    Measured: Baseline , 6-8 months, 18-20 months

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Jul 2023
  2. Study start14 Aug 2023
  3. Primary completion30 Jun 2025
  4. Study completion30 Jun 2025

Resources

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
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
1:1
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
1,372 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05940675
Sponsor's protocol ID
S-20220094
Acronym
GHK
Status last verified
Nov 2025
First submitted
4 Jul 2023
Last updated
26 Nov 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Only de-indentified data will be shared.

Publications

  • Krolner RF, Brautsch LAS, Vilhelmsen M, Hoeeg D, Pedersen NH, Thomsen LT, Nielsen G, Toft U, Larsen MN, Damsgaard CT, Krustrup P, Bauman A, Skovgaard T, Lund L. Generation Healthy Kids: a protocol for the mixed methods process evaluation of a school- and community-based intervention targeting healthy weight and wellbeing among 6-11-year-olds in Denmark. Trials. 2026 Mar 23;27(1):341. doi: 10.1186/s13063-026-09635-1.

    PubMed 41872954
  • Thomsen LT, Schmidt-Persson J, Damsgaard CT, Krustrup P, Grontved A, Krolner RF, Nielsen G, Lundbye-Jensen J, Skovgaard T, Molgaard C, Hansen ABG, Hoeeg D, Larsen MN, Lund L, Melby PS, Pedersen NH, Troelsen J, Nordsborg NB, Toft U. Generation Healthy Kids: Protocol for a cluster-randomized controlled trial of a multi-component and multi-setting intervention to promote healthy weight and wellbeing in 6-11-year-old children in Denmark. PLoS One. 2024 Dec 5;19(12):e0308142. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308142. eCollection 2024.

    PubMed 39636875

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Food and Nutrition, Physical Activity (FitFirst) and Sleep and screen media in people with Childhood Obesity and Well-Being, Psychological, run by University of Copenhagen at 2 sites in Denmark.

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 26 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 2 sites in Denmark. 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?

Fat mass in kg (time frame: Baseline and 18-20 months). 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 NCT05940675, 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 26 Nov 2025.

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