The Growing Well Study

Summary

What are the study aims? To understand more about eating habits and age-appropriate food/drink portion sizes of children aged 6 months-5 years old, and how this affects their growth and dental health.

Why is this research important? Healthy diets in early years are important for growth and development. However, clear guidance for parents on what and how much children should eat is missing due to lack of up-to-date information.

What will the investigators do? Information will be collected at two time points. At baseline, parents/guardians of children aged 6 months-4 years from Leeds, Doncaster and East London will complete questionnaires about their child's sociodemographic information and food intake. They will be asked to record what their child eats for three separate one-day periods using an online system called 'myfood24'. Parents will also attend one in-person session for measuring their child's length/height, weight, and waist circumference.

At follow-up one year later, parents/guardians will complete surveys again, with another in-person session to look at growth and assess dental health.

What do the investigators expect to achieve and what happens next? They want to understand how growth and dental health are influenced by nutrient intakes, dietary patterns, and portion sizes for key food groups. They will also identify how much of different foods children should be eating, and whether commercial foods and sweet drinks are relevant.

They will explore which dietary factors can support healthier children; and how low intakes of key foods or vitamins/minerals in vulnerable groups could be redressed. The study will provide unique information, allowing for development of recommendations for parents and policy-makers on age-appropriate portions, on achieving good nutrition in UK children and within special dietary groups, and on dietary considerations in caring for children's teeth.

Conditions

• Dietary Behaviors
• Child Growth and Development
• Dental Health
• Dietary Intakes

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Dietary intake and patterns (including vegetarian, vegan, and dairy-free diets)

Assessment of dietary intake, patterns, and food/drink portion sizes in infants and young children, including consumption of commercial foods, formula milks, fruit juices, and free sugars, and comparison of different dietary patterns (e.g., vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free diets). Dietary data are collected at baseline and at 12-month follow-up.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Centre for Social Research, London, UK

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Queen Mary University of London

  collaborator OTHER

• Doncaster And Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• Barts & The London NHS Trust

  collaborator OTHER

• University of Leeds

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Janet E Cade, PhD · University of Leeds

• Diane E Threapleton, PhD · University of Leeds

Eligibility

Min Age

6 Months

Max Age

4 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-01-05

Primary Completion

2027-09-30

Completion

2027-10-31

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations