Efficacy of Center-based Childcare to Mitigate Unhealthy Weight Gain in Preschoolers From Low-income Households During the Summer
Recruiting now · Not applicable
Conditions studied: Obesity & Overweight
In brief
Studies show that preschool-age children are especially vulnerable to accelerated weight gain during the summer, with those from low-income households (≤185% poverty level or Medicaid eligible - the target population for this study) exhibiting the greatest risk of unhealthy weight gain. Despite numerous interventions designed to prevent OWOB, none target preschoolers during summer. For families from low-income households, attending center-based childcare is associated with a lower risk of developing OWOB by 1st grade compared to attending home-based care. Center-based childcare lowers the risk of OWOB through daily rules/routines that promote healthy behaviors. For families from low-income households, publicly funded center-based childcares (e.g., needs-based pre-K, Head Start) typically operate on an academic/school 9-month calendar (Aug-May). During summer, fewer than 30% of preschoolers attend center-based childcare. For many preschoolers from lower-income households, summer may serve as an extended period away from formal center-based childcare, because the out-of-pocket expense may prohibit attendance. This may promote unhealthy behaviors and excessive weight gain. In the majority of US states, publicly funded center-based childcare during the academic/school year for families from underserved populations is free; however, center-based childcare during the summer is an out-of-pocket expense for many of these families. Despite parents' desire for childcare during the summer, a major reason children from low-income households do not attend center-based care during summer is cost. This creates unequal access to resources and likely exacerbates health disparities for families from low-income households. Using a structural intervention approach, this study will test the impact of providing free center-based childcare in the summer. This R01 will rigorously test the impact of providing free center-based childcare during the summer on weight status of preschoolers from low-income households (≤185% of poverty level or Medicaid eligible).
Key facts
- Study ID
- NCT07583459
- Run by
- University of South Carolina
- People needed
- 300
- Starts
- 2026-05-01
- Expected to finish
- 2030-06-30
- Last updated by the study team
- 2026-06-11
Who can join
Age: 3 and older, up to 5. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.
You may qualify if…
- Children will need to be enrolled in a needs-based pre-K program in our partner organizations to be eligible to participate. No other exclusion criteria will be applied
Where it is running
- University of South Carolina — Columbia, South Carolina, United States (enrolling)
Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov
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