# Family Meals as a Strategy for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Children

> **NIH NIH P20** · UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE · 2021 · $319,099

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death in the United States (US). Data from the famous
Bogalusa Heart Study have demonstrated the pathogenesis of CVD can start in young children, with early
manifestation directly associated with obesity. Inter-related with obesity, is poor diet quality, and poor diet
quality has been identified as a leading cause of CVD. The long-term goal of this work is to identify strategies
that can be easily implemented by families for the primary prevention of CVD in children. The home feeding
environment, where parents serve as the gatekeepers of the foods available to children has been identified as
a key influence on eating behavior. Within the home feeding environment observational work has
demonstrated more frequent family meals is associated with increased dietary quality, greater consumption of
fruits and vegetables, decreased risk for overweight and obesity, and positive psychosocial outcomes. Family
meals may serve as a vehicle to promote the prevention of obesity and promote CVD health in young children,
but the rigor of prior research has not sufficiently tested family meal frequency as an intervention target. The
objective of the proposed randomized controlled trial is to examine the efficacy of family meal frequency as an
intervention target in addressing the primary prevention of CVD. Ninety children (6-12 years-old) and their
parent will be randomized to one of two interventions: (1) increasing family meal frequency, or (2) increasing
fruit and vegetable intake. Both intervention arms will receive a prevention-focused family-based
multicomponent lifestyle modification program, the gold standard in behavioral-based intervention research.
CVD risk factors of interest include diet quality (Aim 1), zBMI (Aim 2) and cardiovascular health as assessed by
blood pressure, fasting blood insulin, blood lipids, vascular function (Aim 3). Given, the family-based nature of
the study the moderation of parent change over time will be examined as an exploratory aim. The
comprehensive evaluation of CVD risk factors will be used to elucidate the relationship with family meal
frequency, a proposed vehicle within the home feeding environment for the primary prevention of CVD in
children.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10271702
- **Project number:** 2P20GM113125-06
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
- **Principal Investigator:** Shannon Marie Robson
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $319,099
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2016-05-15 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10271702

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10271702, Family Meals as a Strategy for the Primary Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease in Children (2P20GM113125-06). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10271702. Licensed CC0.

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