Weight Gain in Pediatric Leukemia Survivors

A Family-based Intervention Approach to Address Weight Gain in Pediatric Leukemia Survivors

This is a trial assessing the efficacy of two weight maintenance programs for children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and the patients' caregivers. Patients and their caregivers will be randomized 1:1 to Arm A, a non-intensive educational intervention using National Institute of Health (NIH) Educational Resources (We Can! for children 8-13 and Take Charge of Your Health for teenagers 14-18), or Arm B, a Modified Guided Self-Help Family Intervention for Leukemia patients (mL-GSH). Outcomes will be assessed through activity trackers, obesity biometrics, and nutrition and physical activity assessments.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Leukemia; Pediatric Obesity; Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Remission
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: NIH Educational Resources; Behavioral: FitBit Ace; Behavioral: WashU Extended Learning Canvas; Behavioral: Modified Guided Self-Help Family Intervention

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 80
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Margaret Ferris, MD, PhD; Phone Number: 314-454-6018; Email: youngm@wustl.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Missouri
    • St Louis, Missouri, United States, 63110
      • Washington University School of Medicine
      • Contact: Margaret Ferris, MD, PhD; Phone Number: 314-454-6018; Email: youngm@wustl.edu
      • Sub-Investigator: Feng Gao, PhD
      • Principal Investigator: Margaret Ferris, M.D., PhD
      • Sub-Investigator: Mary Claire McGlynn, M.D.
      • Sub-Investigator: Jessica Cooke, PhD

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Patient Eligibility Criteria:

• Must have a diagnosis of ALL (T or B cell).
• Must be receiving standard of care maintenance chemotherapy or be within 6 months of having concluded maintenance chemotherapy at the time of enrollment.
• Must be at least 6 years of age and no older than 18 years of age at time of enrollment.
• Must be able to speak and understand English.
• Must have a caregiver who is participating in this study.
• Must be able to perform some level of exercise (e.g., a brisk walk for at least five minutes) as determined by self-report.
• Must not have severe developmental delay/intellectual disabilities (such as Trisomy32, severe presentations of autism spectrum disorder) or significant mental illness (such as active suicidal ideation, psychotic symptoms, manic or hypomanic episodes, or severe substance use disorder) that may interfere with ability to participate in modified Family Based Therapy (FBT).
• Patients 10 and older must have a negative SCOFF screen for disordered eating (Score of 2 or more would disqualify the patient and require discussion with primary team)
• Must be able to understand and willing to sign an IRB-approved written informed consent document or be able to provide verbal assent along with written consent provided by a legally authorized representative.

Caregiver Eligibility Criteria:

• Self-reported as the primary caregiver of a pediatric patient diagnosed with ALL who is also participating in this study.
• Must be at least 18 years of age.
• Must be able to speak and understand English.
• Must be able to perform some level of exercise (e.g., a brisk walk for at least five minutes) as determined by self-report
• Must be able to understand willing to sign an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved written informed consent document.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Arm A: Educational Resources; Participants will be provided direction to NIH educational resources over the course of the intervention. Both programs provide resources to improve nutrition, increase physical activity, limit screen time, and improve sleep and consist of online, free, assessable educational materials. Patients and caregivers will be reminded of this resource at their monthly clinic appointments for 6 months after their first study visit.	Behavioral: NIH Educational Resources; Patients and their caregivers will be provided education materials from the NIH. The educational resources are We Can! a National Institute of Health educational resource designed for parents, caregivers, and communities to help children ages 8 through 13 improve their health and Take Charge of Your Health which is designed to provide education to teenagers to improve their health; Behavioral: FitBit Ace; Patients will be provided with a FitBit Ace. FitBit Ace will be worn by patients to track physical activity.; Behavioral: WashU Extended Learning Canvas; All caregivers will be provided access to WashU Extended Learning Canvas. The WashU Extended Learning Canvas will have an online support group for caregivers to engage in with other caregivers in the trial.
Experimental: Arm B: Modified Guided Self-Help Family Intervention (mL-GSH); Participants will complete the Modified Guided Self-Help Family Intervention for survivors of leukemia (mL-GSH). ML-GSH is a six-session intervention to be delivered during appointments. Patients will have 6 months to complete the curriculum (may be up to 9 months to account for scheduling concerns).	Behavioral: FitBit Ace; Patients will be provided with a FitBit Ace. FitBit Ace will be worn by patients to track physical activity.; Behavioral: WashU Extended Learning Canvas; All caregivers will be provided access to WashU Extended Learning Canvas. The WashU Extended Learning Canvas will have an online support group for caregivers to engage in with other caregivers in the trial.; Behavioral: Modified Guided Self-Help Family Intervention; Patients and their caregivers will be led through mL-GSH in six sessions over the course of 6-9 months. Content is informed by priorities of caregivers and survivors of pediatric leukemia. The curriculum relies on participants identifying habits to monitor independently and supplementing their engagement with additional materials.; Other Names: mL-GSH

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Weight Z score	Participant's weight Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's weight for their age and sex compares to the average weight for that population which is obtained from Center for Disease Control (CDC) growth Charts	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in weight Z score	Participant's weight Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's weight for their age and sex compares to the average weight for that population which is obtained from CDC growth Charts. Changes in weight Z score from start to end of the study will be analyzed by changes in summary statistics (mean, median, and standard deviation) across timepoints.	From start of study through end of study (estimated total time frame 12-15 months)
BMI Z Score	Participant's BMI Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's BMI for their age and sex compares to the average BMI for that population which is obtained from CDC growth Charts	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in BMI Z Score	Participant's BMI Z score is a statistical value that indicates how the participant's BMI for their age and sex compares to the average BMI for that population which is obtained from CDC growth Charts. Changes in BMI Z score from start to end of the study will be analyzed by changes summary statistics (mean, median, and standard deviation) across timepoints.	From start of study through end of study (estimated total time frame 12-15 months)
Changes in Cholesterol	Changes in cholesterol (total, LDL, and HDL levels) will be analyzed via summary statistics (means, medians, and standard deviation) at each of the endpoints.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in HbA1c	Changes in HbA1c will be analyzed via summary statistics (means, medians, and standard deviation) at each of the endpoints.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in Albumin	Changes in albumin will be analyzed via summary statistics (means, medians, and standard deviation) at each of the endpoints.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Changes in activity intensity assessed by Fitbit Ace Smartwatch using the Freedson age-adjusted equation	The Freedson age-adjusted equation is used to estimate maximum heart rate based on age and then is used to classify activity intensity by the heart rate of the activity.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in activity levels as measured by PAQ-C assessments	Activity levels will be assessed by participants' changes in scores across different timepoints on Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). The PAQ-C is a self-administered, 7 day recall questionnaire designed to assess physical activity of children by proving a summary score of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The mean PAQ-C score is interpreted as follows: 1.0-1.9 low physical activity, 2.0-2.9 moderate-low activity, 3.0-3.9 moderate activity, and 4.0-5.0 high activity. A higher score indicates a higher activity level.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in activity levels as measured by PAQ-A assessments	Activity levels will be assessed by participants' changes in scores across different timepoints on Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A). The PAQ-A is a self-administered, 7 day recall questionnaire designed to assess physical activity of adolescents by proving a summary score of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The mean PAQ-A score is interpreted as follows: 1.0-1.9 low physical activity, 2.0-2.9 moderate-low activity, 3.0-3.9 moderate activity, and 4.0-5.0 high activity. A higher score indicates a higher activity level.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in health behaviors as measured by the Health Behaviors Survey	The health behaviors survey assesses average daily activity level, screen time, sweetened beverage consumption, and fruit and vegetables consumption to determine if patients are compliant with American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendation. 44% of childhood cancer survivors are active more than 60 minutes a day, 40% engage in less than 1 hour of screen time, 34% consume sweetened beverages and 4% consume more than one serving of fruits and vegetables.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in 24-hour dietary recall as measured by ASA24	Patient and caregiver feeding habits will be assessed by their responses to a 24 hour dietary recall through the Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24). ASA24 is a web-based, automated dietary recall tool that uses images and prompts. The ASA24 produces automated nutrient and food group data on participant's diet, a Respondent Nutrition Report (RNR). The RNR data will be used to generate a Healthy Eating Index score ranging from 0-100 with higher scores indicating closer alignment to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Between group differences between Arm A and Arm B will be compared via various statistical methods.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention. Estimated total time frame of 12-15 months.
Changes in health behaviors as measured by Childhood Feeding Questionnaire	Changes in health behaviors will be assessed by caregivers' responses to the Child Feeding Questionnaire (CFQ and CFQ-teen) across different timepoints. The Child Feeding Questionnaire is a 31-item questionnaire using a 5-point Likert scale to assesses parents/caregivers' beliefs, attitudes, and practices surrounding feeding and their perceptions of their child's weight and eating behavior. The CFQ includes seven subscales. Subscales are scored from 1-5 with general guidelines for interpreting subscale scores as follows: 1.0-1.9 very low use of that feeding practice/low perception, 2.0-2.9 below average/mild expression, 3.0-3.9 moderate/typical parental level, and 4.0-5.0 high use or strong perception/belief.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)
Changes in Health Habits Survey	Changes in answers to the Health Habits Survey will be assessed by caregivers and patients' responses to the survey at different timepoints. The Health Habits Survey is an assessment consisting of four questions evaluating health behaviors using 4-point Likert scales. These behaviors include daily activity level (not very often, <30 min a day, 30-60 min a day, and ≥ 60 min a day), screen time ( ≥2 hr a day, 1-2 hr a day, 30-60 min a day, and not very often), sweetened beverage consumption ( ≥3 a day, two a day, one a day, and not very often), and fruit and vegetable consumption (0-1, 1-2, 3-4, or >4 times a day.). The investigators will consider percentage of children whose health habits align with American Academy of Pediatric recommendations - 5 fruits and vegetables per day, 2 hours or less of screen time, 1 hour of physical activity, 0 sweetened beverages consumed.	Enrollment, during intervention (4 months after enrollment), end of intervention (6 months after enrollment (may be up to 9 months)), and 6 months after end of intervention (estimated total time frame of 12-15 months)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Washington University School of Medicine
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Margaret Ferris, MD, PhD, Washington University School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

Helpful Links

• Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 31, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): February 28, 2029
• Study Completion (Estimated): February 28, 2029

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 16, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 24, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): January 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 28, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 23, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Leukemia; Weight Management; Health Behaviors; Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Late Effects; Healthy Habits
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Nutrition Disorders; Neoplasms; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Immune System Diseases; Neoplasms by Histologic Type; Hematologic Diseases; Lymphatic Diseases; Lymphoproliferative Disorders; Immunoproliferative Disorders; Overweight; Leukemia, Lymphoid; Obesity; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Hemic and Lymphatic Diseases; Leukemia; Precursor Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma; Pediatric Obesity; Health Behavior
• Other Study ID Numbers: 202512147

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: All individual participant data collected during the trial will be deidentified and accessible following publication of study results.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: Data will be shared after publication of study results with no end date for data sharing.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: Data will be shared with any individual who wishes to have access to the data for any purpose. Data will be included in supplementary materials of publication. Data will also be available by request to the corresponding authors of the publication.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No