The Food Allergy Superheroes Training (FAST) Program (FAST Program)

April 2, 2026 updated by: Christopher Flessner, Kent State University

The Food Allergy Superheroes Training (FAST) Program: Increasing Adherence to Food Allergy Safety Guidelines

Among children with a food allergy, strict avoidance (e.g., elimination of allergenic foods from one's diet) is the only intervention capable of preventing potentially devastating health-related sequelae including anaphylaxis and death. Youths from low-income backgrounds are particularly impacted by food allergies and may be the population most apt to benefit from a brief, portable, and engaging skills-based intervention designed to teach young children the skills needed to remain adherent to food allergy safety guidelines. Data collected as part of the proposed project will lay the groundwork for a line of federally-funded intervention research broadly examining how to promote adherence to food allergy safety guidelines among young children from low-income backgrounds through implementation of a robust, efficient, and portable intervention.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Terminated

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

The primary aim of this R21 proposal is to test the efficacy of a 5-session intervention designed to increase adherence to FA safety guidelines among low-income, young children (6-8 years of age) with FAs. This intervention, the Food Allergy Superheroes Training (FAST) Program, will be developed and refined across Phases 1a and 1b to target skills beneficial to promote adherence to FA guidelines (i.e., food avoidance). During Phase 1a, we will recruit a parent-child advisory board to aide in integrating principles of behavioral skills training within the FAST Program manual. We will then examine the initial acceptability and feasibility of the FAST Program in an open trial with 10 low-income, young children with FAs to further refine the intervention's content. During Phase 1b, we will randomize 50 young children with a FA who are from a low-income background to receive either the FAST Program or FA knowledge. We will employ developmentally relevant FA assessments (i.e., child-report, role-play, in situ) before, after, and one-month post-intervention as our primary outcomes. Aim 1: Determine feasibility and acceptability of the FAST intervention. We will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention with 60 participants (n=10 in pilot trial [Phase 1a] and n=50 in a preliminary randomized trial [Phase 1b]). Aim 2: Estimate the effect size of the FAST intervention relative to FA knowledge alone. Adherence will be measured via a multi-modal, FA assessment including child-report, role-play, and in situ assessment. This form of naturalistic, FA assessment will be designed to measure the child's behavior (i.e., ingest food, touch or play with food, etc.) in a safe yet realistic manner. This study will contribute to the field's knowledge of efficacious interventions for promoting adherence among young children with FAs.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
22

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Christopher A Flessner, Ph.D.
  • Phone Number: 330-672-2236
  • Email: cflessne@kent.edu

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Ohio
      • Kent, Ohio, United States, 44242
        • Kent State University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

6 years to 8 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • 6-8 years of age.
  • Demonstrates a food allergy, based upon parent-report and confirmed diagnosis.
  • Family considered low-income (income-to-needs ratio <200% of Department of Health and Human Services Federal Poverty Threshold)
  • English as child's primary language
  • One English-speaking parent/guardian

Exclusion Criteria:

• Neurodevelopmental disorder (i.e., autism spectrum disorder), cognitive delays, or psychiatric disorder, based upon parent-report.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Food Allergy Superheroes Training (FAST) Program
Participants enrolled in this arm of the study will receive 5, 20 minutes skills training sessions designed to promote adherence to food allergy safety guidelines. These sessions will occur over the period of <2 weeks. All sessions will occur at the PIs laboratory or within the participant's home.
Behavioral: Food Allergy Superheroes Training (FAST) Program
The primary aim of the FAST intervention is to 1) increase the young child's understanding of food allergies (FA) and 2) promote-adherence to FA safety guidelines through active skills training. We will achieve this aim through the use of educational materials (session 1) and a developmentally-tailored skills training intervention (session 2-5). Core components embedded within each skill straining session include instructions, modeling, rehearsal, and reinforcement/corrective feedback. The young child and their parent/caregiver will be present for the entirety of all sessions; however, all intervention materials (i.e., educational content, skills training components) are designed with the young child as the primary focal point of interest. All children will be rewarded with a small toy (<$5 value) at the end of each successfully completed session.
Other Names:
  • FAST Program
Active Comparator: Food Allergy Knowledge (FAK) Intervention
Participants enrolled in this arm of the study will receive 5, 20 minutes educational training sessions designed to increase knowledge pertaining to food allergies. These sessions will occur over the period of <2 weeks. All sessions will occur at the PIs laboratory or within the participant's home.
Other: Food Allergy Knowledge Intervention
The primary aim of the FAK intervention is to increase the young child's understanding of FAs including prevalence, symptoms, and management strategies among other topics. We will achieve this aim through the use of educational materials targeting knowledge acquisition through a variety of didactic materials made freely available through the Food Allergy Research Education (FARE) website (www.foodallergy.org). More specifically, we will employ information embedded within the "Food Allergy 101" segment of the FARE website. The young child and their parent/caregiver will be present for the entirety of all sessions; however, all intervention materials are designed with the young child as the primary focal point of interest. All children will be rewarded with a small toy (<$5 value) at the end of each successfully completed session. All FAK sessions will occur within the child's home and will include informational handouts relevant to the day's session.
Other Names:
  • FAK intervention

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in in Situ Food Assessment Score
Time Frame: Planned time frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks).
Designed to provide an objective measure of a child's behavior to an unknown food-item in the real world. Modeled after similar methodology employed in prior skills training research. Child's response coded (see Research Strategy), based upon video assessment. Higher scores (ranging from 0 to 4) indicate greater adherence. Scores represent change from pre-intervention to one-month follow-up assessment.
Planned time frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks).
Change in Role-play Food Assessment
Time Frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
The role-play assessment will occur immediately following the in situ assessment and is modeled upon similar methodology employed in prior skills training research. The study independent evaluator verbally presents the young child with a hypothetical scenario. For example, "Let's pretend that you are in your living room and your mom asks you to pick up your toys. While you are picking up your toys, you find candy. What would you do?" The IE will design each scenario so that the physical layout of the room permits the child to exhibit behavior congruent with the described situation. The child?s response will be coded (see Research Strategy), based upon videotaped assessment made possible via a camera placed in the room. Higher scores (ranging from 0 to 3) indicate greater adherence. Inter-rater reliability will be obtained on 30% of role-play food assessments.Scores represent change from pre-intervention to one-month follow-up assessment.
pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
Change in Child-report Food Assessment
Time Frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
The child-report food assessment will occur immediately following the role-play assessment. The study IE presents a scenario in which a child finds a food-item (e.g., playing at a friend's home). The independent evaluator will ask the child to state what he/she would do, if that situation happened to them. The child's response will be coded (see Research Strategy), based upon videotaped assessment made possible via a camera placed in the room. Higher scores (ranging from 0 to 3) indicate greater adherence. Inter-rater reliability will be obtained on 30% of child-report food assessments.
pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Food Allergy Knowledge Test (FAKT)
Time Frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
The FAKT is a 39 question, parent-report measure designed to assess knowledge about food allergies across five domains: General clinical food allergy knowledge, avoiding exposure, epinephrine auto-injector, anaphylaxis, and symptoms. Questions are multiple choice, true/false, or multiple-item (i.e., indicate whether each item is a symptom of a food allergy) formats. The scale yields a total of 59 items that can be scored. Higher scores indicate a great degree of food allergy knowledge. The scale demonstrates strong internal consistency and construct validity with criterion measures of parent educational status, access to food allergy information, insurance status, and epinephrine use. The FAKT will be used as a process measure designed to ensure that basic educational material is received. This outcome measure is a change score (end of treatment minus baseline) with higher scores representing greater improvement in food allergy knowledge.
pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
Food Allergy Quality of Life - Parent Burden (FAQL-PB)
Time Frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
The FAQL-PB is designed to assess the health-related quality of life among parents of children, 0-12 years of age, with a food allergy. Higher scores indicate greater perceived burden. The scale has demonstrated excellent internal consistency and temporal stability and good construct validity. This outcome measure is a change score (end of treatment minus baseline) with higher scores representing greater improvement in quality of life.
pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
Food Allergy Management and Adaptation Scale (FAMAS)
Time Frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
The FAMAS is a semi-structured interviewed designed to assess variety of domains related to a family's psychosocial adjustment to a child's food allergy. The interview includes a myriad of subscales related to this broader construct including food allergy knowledge, medication availability, symptoms of food allergy, child and family food avoidance, family and child response readiness, and parent and child anxiety among other domains. Evidence suggests that the FAMAS demonstrates excellent inter-rater reliability and strong construct validity. Higher scores indicate greater overall (better) food allergy management. The outcome measure is a change score with higher scores representing greater change in a family's food allergy management.
pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
Food Allergy Impact Scale (FAIS)
Time Frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
The FAIS is a 32-item scale designed to measure the impact of a child's food allergies on day-to-day activities within the home including meal preparation, social activities, etc. Higher scores indicate increasing level of impact on family functioning. Prior research suggests that the FAIS demonstrates adequate internal consistency. Outcome measures represents a change score (i.e., final assessment - initial assessment) with smaller (negative) scores indicating a reduction in the impact of food allergy on the family.
pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)

Other Outcome Measures

Other Outcome Measures

For clinical trials, a planned measurement described in the protocol that is used to determine the effect of an intervention/treatment on participants. For observational studies, a measurement or observation that is used to describe patterns of diseases or traits, or associations with exposures, risk factors, or treatment. Types of outcome measures include primary outcome measure and secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)
Time Frame: pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)
The CBCL is a 112-item parent-report scale assessing child symptoms across several domains including social skills, school functioning, and emotional and behavioral problems. Prior research utilizing the CBCL demonstrates strong reliability and validity amongst youth populations. Although multiple versions of the CBCL exist, we will employ the parent-report (6-18 year old) version. For the purposes of the proposed study, we will employ the CBCL as a post hoc measure to assess potential predictors of intervention response. Higher scores on CBCL subscales indicate a greater presence of corresponding behavioral symptoms.
pre-intervention to post-intervention (approximately 2 weeks), pre-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 6 weeks), post-intervention to one-month follow-up (approximately 4 weeks)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Kent State University

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
Rhode Island Hospital
University of Memphis

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Christopher A Flessner, Kent State University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
July 1, 2019

Primary Completion (Actual)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2023

Study Completion (Actual)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2023

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 14, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 19, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 22, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
April 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 2, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 19-121
  • 19-118 (Other Identifier: Kent State University)

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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