The Growing Well Study

Recruiting now

Conditions studied: Dietary Behaviors, Child Growth and Development, Dental Health, Dietary Intakes

In brief

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.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT07698158
Run by: University of Leeds
People needed: 1890
Starts: 2026-01-05
Expected to finish: 2027-10-01
Last updated by the study team: 2026-07-13

Who can join

Age: 1 and older, up to 4. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

Children aged 6 months-4 years along with their parents or guardians who reside in or near one of the three study locations and planned fieldwork sites: Leeds, Doncaster, or East London. For East London, eligibility includes individuals living in or near Tower Hamlets or an adjacent borough
All participants are eligible regardless of background, language, educational ability, or literacy level.

You may not qualify if…

Plan to move outside of the study area within the next 12 months
Children not living with the consenting parent/guardian for any part of the week or not living with the consenting parent/guardian at the time of data collection (e.g. in care, hospital, or living wholly with another family member).
Children with significant oral feeding difficulties (e.g. tube-feeding or developmental delays)
Children that have been diagnosed with a long-term condition that affects their growth or development (e.g. hormonal or genetic conditions)
Children from subgroups where quotas have been filled will be excluded to maintain balanced representation across all study groups (e.g., age 3, non-deprived locations).

Where it is running

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust — Doncaster, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (enrolling)
Community settings across Doncaster — Doncaster, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (enrolling)
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust — Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (enrolling)
Community settings across Leeds — Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (enrolling)
Barts Health NHS Trust — London, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (enrolling)
Community settings across East London — London, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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