Whole Foods for Teens: A Pilot Dietary Intervention to Reduce Body Adiposity in Adolescents With Obesity
Aims: Aim 2: Conduct an 8-week pilot RCT to examine the effects of a whole foods diet intervention on diet quality in adolescent and parent pairs during the study period. Hypothesis 2: Adolescents and parents randomized to the whole foods intervention will have higher diet quality scores at the 8-week follow-up than those in the control group. Aim 3: Conduct post-intervention family focus groups to identify how individual/family needs and preferences and social determinants of health (SDOH) may be perceived barriers and/or facilitators of diet adherence to a whole foods diet pattern.
⁃ For this study, eligible adolescents will be those that:
• 10-18 years of age at time of initial screening;
• living at home full-time with the enrolled parent or caregiver (≥80% in primary residence);
• obesity defined as a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 95th percentile for age and gender based on standardized CDC growth curves;
• reside within greater Middle Tennessee area and has enrolled parent/caregiver willing to drive to Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center for study visits;
• are without medical conditions that would limit participation in a diet-related study (e.g., tube feeding, dysphagia, severe food allergy to 3 or more food groups causing anaphylaxis);
• are willing and able to participate in an 8-week diet study that encourages preparing and eating healthy foods and snacks for 8 weeks with parental or caregiver support;
• have parental or caregiver commitment to participate in the research study;
⁃ For this study, eligible adult parents or caregivers will be those that:
• adult parent or primary legal caregiver (greater than or equal to 25 years of age) of an enrolled adolescent;
• live with the adolescent full-time (≥80% in primary residence);
• have 1 or more metabolic risk factor(s) and/or metabolic condition(s) (e.g., overweight/obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia or dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia \[elevated fasting blood glucose ≥100 mg/dL\] and/or prediabetes, history of gestational diabetes, polycystic ovarian syndrome, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease);
• reside within greater Middle Tennessee area and are willing to drive to Vanderbilt University and Vanderbilt University Medical Center for study visits;
• are without medical conditions that would limit participation in a diet-related study (e.g., tube feeding, dysphagia, severe food allergy to 3 or more food groups);
• are able to participate in a study program that encourages preparing and eating healthy foods and snacks for 8 weeks with most preparation/cooking of meals/snacks at home;