# Early Life Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Child Growth, Adiposity, and Neurodevelopment

> **NIH NIH UH3** · KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE · 2020 · $310,572

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The overarching goal of this ECHO COVID-19 Administrative Supplement (NOT-OD-20-107) is to examine
changes in children’s obesity-related behaviors that are occurring in tandem with societal changes related to
the COVID-19 pandemic. Prolonged home stays, physical distancing precautions, school closures and
economic disruption may impact children’s dietary intake, physical activity, screen time and sleep. This is a
critical gap to fill because obesity prevention and treatment interventions over the next several years will need
to be tailored to address the COVID-19-specific causes of obesity. Societal changes may differentially impact
children from different socioeconomic and racial/ethnic groups and, in turn, exacerbate existing disparities in
obesity. Further, variation in the degree of protective measures varies by US state, which may contribute to
geographic variation in the effects of the pandemic on child health. Natural experiments are needed to assess
the effects of the pandemic on obesity-related behaviors in a socioeconomically, ethnically and geographically
diverse sample of children using rigorous measures of diet, activity, screen time and sleep. Kaiser
Permanente Northern California (KPNC) is 1 of 4 awardees in the ECHO consortium proposing to collaborate
on this Administrative Supplement. We propose a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design among mother-
child dyads from the 4 ECHO sites cohorts (n=375 dyads), including KPNC which consists of two pre-birth
cohorts currently following offspring in early childhood. For the pretest, we will leverage existing data on diet,
activity, screen time and sleep collected from dyads who completed their ECHO visit before March 2020. For
the posttest, we will collect novel repeated measures data in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 from the same dyads
using remote data collection. We will address the following specific aims: AIM 1: to compare diet, activity,
screen time and sleep prior to versus during the pandemic, with a focus on identifying children at high risk for
adverse changes. We will explore whether the changes in obesity-related behaviors are modified by
socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity and site location: AIM 2: using a mixed method approach (qualitative and
quantitative), examine families’ daily routines during the pandemic, and parent perceptions of how societal
changes influence children’s obesity-related behaviors. The ECHO COVID-questionnaire will quantitatively
examine parent perceptions of how societal changes influence obesity-related behaviors. Qualitative interviews
with parents will identify COVID-specific barriers to achieving healthy behaviors, reduced access to physical
spaces that promote active play, and parents’ reliance on screen time as a replacement for in-person daycare.
This study will be significant for ECHO and the broader child health community because lifestyle behavior
changes during the pandemic may alter obesity risk and amplify exist...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10205624
- **Project number:** 3UH3OD023289-05S1
- **Recipient organization:** KAISER FOUNDATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE
- **Principal Investigator:** LISA A CROEN
- **Activity code:** UH3 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $310,572
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2016-09-21 → 2023-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10205624

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10205624, Early Life Exposure to Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals and Child Growth, Adiposity, and Neurodevelopment (3UH3OD023289-05S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10205624. Licensed CC0.

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