The Effect of Snack Consumption on Energy Intake in Preschoolers

The purpose of this pilot study will be to examine the influence of providing snacks on consumption of overall energy intake in children aged 2-5 years in the Early Learning Center (ELC) at the University of Tennessee.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Energy Intake; Snacks; Children, Preschool
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: No Snacking; Behavioral: Snacking

Detailed Description

Providing snacks to children is widely recommended for appetite regulation and assisting with meeting nutritional guidelines.1 Currently, snacks contribute a larger portion of dietary intake in children than in previous years.2,3 Additionally, observational research has found that self-reported, low-nutrient-dense snack consumption, has increased among preschoolers (ages 2-to-6 years) over the past 20 years, leading to an increase of total daily energy intake.3 However, no experimental studies examining the influence of snack intake on energy consumption in children have been conducted.2 Therefore, at this time it is not clear how snacks impact appetite regulation or energy intake, especially in young children.

Thus, the purpose of this pilot study will be to examine the influence of providing snacks on consumption of overall energy intake in children aged 2-5 years in the Early Learning Center (ELC) at the University of Tennessee. Children will be provided with 3-to-5 ad libitum eating occasions over the course of a day for three sessions. To test the effects of providing snacks to preschoolers on consumption of food throughout the day, the food will be provided in three ways in the three different sessions: 1) children will be provided three meals (TM); 2) children will be provided three meals and two snacks, with total amount of food provided in the day the same as TM (M+S); and 3) children will be provided three meals and two snacks with total amount provided in the meals equal to TM and total amount provided in the snacks equal to M+S (TM+S).

Primary Hypothesis:

1) Energy consumed from food and beverages will be greatest during the TM+S session, followed by M+S, and then TM.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 20
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Tennessee
    • Knoxville, Tennessee, United States, 37996
      • Healthy Eating and Activity Laboratory

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 3 years to 5 years (Child)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 3 -to- 5 years of age
• enrolled at the Early Learning Center for the full day program
• have guardian consent to participate
• like the foods served

Exclusion Criteria:

• have allergies or intolerances to the foods being served
• not able to use a spoon
• did not attend all feeding sessions

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Three Meals (TM); Preschoolers will be provided their caloric needs within three meals.	Behavioral: No Snacking; Caloric needs will be provided to preschoolers within three meals
Active Comparator: Meal plus Snack (M+S); Preschoolers will be provided three meals and two snacks, with total amount of food provided in the day the same as the Three Meal (TM) arm.	Behavioral: Snacking; Snacks will be provided to preschoolers, either as part of total caloric needs or above total caloric needs
Active Comparator: Three Meal plus Snack (TM+S); Preschoolers will be provided three meals and two snacks with total amount provided in the meals equal to the Three Meal (TM) arm and total amount provided in the snacks equal to Meal plus Snacks (M+S) arm.	Behavioral: Snacking; Snacks will be provided to preschoolers, either as part of total caloric needs or above total caloric needs

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Total calories of the food and beverages consumed.	Total calories of food and beverage consumed by participants over the 3-week study (with 1 day of food and beverage per week) period will be determined by subtracting pre- and post-consumption weight of the food and beverage provided and multiplied by the energy density of each respective food and beverage.	3 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Hollie A Raynor, PhD, RD, LDN, University of Tennesseem Knoxville

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Allen RE, Myers AL. Nutrition in toddlers. Am Fam Physician. 2006 Nov 1;74(9):1527-32.
• Ford CN, Slining MM, Popkin BM. Trends in dietary intake among US 2- to 6-year-old children, 1989-2008. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2013 Jan;113(1):35-42. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2012.08.022.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 1, 2014
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2018
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 30, 2014
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 30, 2014
• First Posted (Estimated): August 1, 2014

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 22, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 17, 2023
• Last Verified: June 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 9564 B