Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Centre for Metabolism, Obesity & Diabetes Research, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Jun 20;13:e48549. doi: 10.2196/48549.
Chronic stress is an important risk factor in the development of obesity. While research suggests chronic stress is linked to excess weight gain in children, the biological or behavioral mechanisms are poorly understood.
The objectives of the Family Stress Study are to examine behavioral and biological pathways through which chronic stress exposure (including stress from COVID-19) may be associated with adiposity in young children, and to determine if factors such as child sex, caregiver-child relationship quality, caregiver education, and caregiver self-regulation moderate the association between chronic stress and child adiposity.
The Family Stress Study is a prospective cohort study of families recruited from 2 Canadian sites: the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, and McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. Participants will be observed for 2 years and were eligible to participate if they had at least one child (aged 2-6 years) and no plans to move from the area within the next 3 years. Study questionnaires and measures were completed remotely at baseline and will be assessed using the same methods at 1- and 2-year follow-ups. At each time point, caregivers measure and report their child's height, weight, and waist circumference, collect a hair sample for cortisol analysis, and fit their child with an activity monitor to assess the child's physical activity and sleep. Caregivers also complete a web-based health and behaviors survey with questions about family demographics, family stress, their own weight-related behaviors, and their child's mental health, as well as a 1-day dietary assessment for their child.
Enrollment for this study was completed in December 2021. The final second-year follow-up was completed in April 2024. This study's sample includes 359 families (359 children, 359 female caregivers, and 179 male caregivers). The children's mean (SD) age is 3.9 years (1.2 years) and 51% (n=182) are female. Approximately 74% (n=263) of children and 80% (n=431) of caregivers identify as White. Approximately 34% (n=184) of caregivers have a college diploma or less and nearly 93% (n=499) are married or cohabiting with a partner. Nearly half (n=172, 47%) of the families have an annual household income ≥CAD $100,000 (an average exchange rate of 1 CAD=0.737626 USD applies). Data cleaning and analysis are ongoing as of manuscript publication.
Despite public health restrictions from COVID-19, the Family Stress Study was successful in recruiting and using remote data collection to successfully engage families in this study. The results from this study will help identify the direction and relative contributions of the biological and behavioral pathways linking chronic stress and adiposity. These findings will aid in the development of effective interventions designed to modify these pathways and reduce obesity risk in children.
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05534711; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05534711.
INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/48549.
慢性压力是肥胖发展的一个重要危险因素。虽然研究表明慢性压力与儿童体重增加有关，但生物学或行为机制尚不清楚。
家庭压力研究的目的是研究慢性压力暴露（包括 COVID-19 带来的压力）与幼儿肥胖之间可能存在的行为和生物学途径，并确定儿童性别、照顾者与儿童的关系质量、照顾者教育和照顾者自我调节等因素是否会调节慢性压力与儿童肥胖之间的关联。
家庭压力研究是一项针对加拿大两个地点的家庭的前瞻性队列研究：安大略省圭尔夫的圭尔夫大学和安大略省汉密尔顿的麦克马斯特大学。参与者将被观察 2 年，如果他们有至少一个（2-6 岁）孩子，并且在未来 3 年内没有搬家的计划，就有资格参加。研究问卷和测量是在基线远程完成的，并将使用相同的方法在 1 年和 2 年的随访中进行评估。在每个时间点，照顾者都会测量和报告他们孩子的身高、体重和腰围，采集头发样本进行皮质醇分析，并为孩子佩戴活动监测器，以评估孩子的身体活动和睡眠情况。照顾者还完成了一项基于网络的健康和行为调查，其中包括家庭人口统计、家庭压力、他们自己的与体重相关的行为以及孩子的心理健康等问题，以及为孩子进行为期 1 天的饮食评估。
该研究的招募工作已于 2021 年 12 月完成。最后一次 2 年随访于 2024 年 4 月完成。该研究的样本包括 359 个家庭（359 个孩子、359 名女性照顾者和 179 名男性照顾者）。孩子的平均（SD）年龄为 3.9 岁（1.2 岁），51%（n=182）为女性。大约 74%（n=263）的儿童和 80%（n=431）的照顾者是白人。大约 34%（n=184）的照顾者拥有大专文凭或以下学历，近 93%（n=499）已婚或与伴侣同居。近一半（n=172，47%）的家庭年收入≥CAD$100,000（适用的平均汇率为 1 CAD=0.737626 美元）。截至发表本手稿时，数据清理和分析仍在进行中。
尽管受到 COVID-19 公共卫生限制的影响，但家庭压力研究成功招募并使用远程数据收集成功吸引了参与该研究的家庭。这项研究的结果将有助于确定慢性压力和肥胖之间生物学和行为途径的方向和相对贡献。这些发现将有助于开发有效的干预措施，以改变这些途径，降低儿童肥胖的风险。
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05534711；https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05534711。
国际注册报告标识符（IRRID）：DERR1-10.2196/48549。
