The Growing Well Study

NCT07698158 | Recruiting

• 3 other identifiers: 2025-NCT43NIHR207073347332
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 1,890
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 6

Brief 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

Keywords

Early Years; Children; Nutrition; Portion Size; Commercial Foods; Plant-Based Diet; Growth; Dental Health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Weight-for-height/length Z scores

  Weight (kg) and length or height (cm) are combined to this indicator. A standardized measure of body weight relative to height or length and sex. Following international reccomendations, length is used for children \<2 years and height for those \>=2 years. Scores typically range from -5 to +5 Z scores, with higher scores indicating greater weight relative to height/length.

  Baseline (2026) and follow-up 12 months later

• Dental caries

  Prevalence following the National Dental Epidemiology Programme methodology, including a visual-only examination by trained and calibrated dental examiners, using the dentinal cavitation (d₃mft) as diagnostic threshold.

  Follow-up only (2027)

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Dental health

  Follow-up only (2027)

• Length/Height-for-Age Z-score

  Baseline (2026) and 12-month follow up

• Weight-for-Age Z-score

  Baseline (2026) and 12-month follow up

• Body Mass Index for-Age Z-score

  Baseline (2026) and 12 month follow-up

• Waist circumference

  Baseline (2026) and 12 month follow-up

Interventions

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

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.

Also known as: Food and drink portion sizes, Nutrient intake (macro- and micronutrients, free sugars, sweeteners), Commercial foods, Fruit juices

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 6 Months - 4 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Children aged between 6 months and 5 years living in Leeds, Doncaster and East London.

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).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Leeds: lead
• National Centre for Social Research, London, UK: collaborator
• The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust: collaborator
• Queen Mary University of London: collaborator
• Doncaster And Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: collaborator
• Barts & The London NHS Trust: collaborator

Study Sites (6)

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Doncaster, West Yorkshire, LS6 2EF, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Community settings across Doncaster

Doncaster, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS6 2EF, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Community settings across Leeds

Leeds, West Yorkshire, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Barts Health NHS Trust

London, West Yorkshire, LS6 2EF, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Community settings across East London

London, West Yorkshire, LS6 2EF, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Related Links

• Study website

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Eating; Diet, Vegan; Food; Micronutrients; Sweetening Agents; Fruit and Vegetable Juices

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Food, and Nutrition; Physiological Phenomena; Digestive System Physiological Phenomena; Digestive System and Oral Physiological Phenomena; Diet, Vegetarian; Diet, Plant-Based; Diet Therapy; Nutrition Therapy; Therapeutics; Diet; Food and Beverages; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Pharmacologic Actions; Chemical Actions and Uses; Nutrients; Flavoring Agents; Food Additives; Food Ingredients; Specialty Uses of Chemicals; Beverages

Study Officials

• Janet E Cade, PhD

  University of Leeds

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Diane E Threapleton, PhD

  University of Leeds

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Diane Threapleton E Threapleton, PhD

CONTACT

+441133435530; D.E.Threapleton@leeds.ac.uk

Sofia Barragan Vazquez del Mercado, PhD

CONTACT

+441133435530; s.barragan@leeds.ac.uk

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Senior Research Fellow

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 23, 2026
• First Posted: July 13, 2026
• Study Start: January 5, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): October 1, 2027
• Last Updated: July 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-07

Locations

GB (6)