# Enhancing Sleep Duration: Effects of Children's Eating and Activity Behaviors

> **NIH NIH R01** · TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH · 2020 · $748,978

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Thirty four percent of school-age children are overweight or obese with clear obesity- and cardiovascular (CV)-
related health disparities among racial groups. There have been calls to assess novel approaches for
prevention of obesity and CV risk, particularly for African-American (AA)/black children. Given their increased
risk of short sleep, obesity and CV disturbance, one approach that may be promising for children who are
AA/Black is enhancing sleep duration. Observational studies with children demonstrate that short sleep
increases risk of obesity and other CV risk factors. Experimental studies with adults document that changes in
sleep may influence obesity risk primarily through eating pathways. Our own randomized controlled trials with
children 8-11 years old provide a robust signal that enhancing sleep duration leads to decreases in: motivation
for food, reported food intake and TV viewing; and increases in physical activity-with a net result of positive
changes in weight status and potential changes in glucose regulation, particularly for children who enhance
their sleep the most. However, preliminary studies are limited by short study timeframes (2-weeks to 2-
months), primary enrollment of non-Hispanic White children, and primary aims focused on eating behaviors
rather than obesity or other CV risk. In this competing renewal we propose addressing these limitations by
enrolling children who are AA/black, assessing effects of intervention over a 12-month period, and focusing the
primary aim on change in zBMI. Specifically, we propose rigorous evaluation of two active preventive
interventions: a) enhancing sleep alone (Optimize Sleep [OS]), and b) enhancing sleep along with eating and
activity behaviors that have demonstrated efficacy for obesity prevention and are implicated in self-regulatory
pathways related to sleep (i.e., energy dense snack foods and beverages, TV viewing, and physical activity)
(OS-Plus). The present study proposes to enroll 204 children 8-11 years old who are AA/black, primarily from
low socioeconomic backgrounds, and who sleep < 9.5 hours/night into a 12-month study. Children will be
randomly assigned to either OS or OS-Plus. Over the 6-month treatment phase, all children will attend an 8-
session treatment (4 in-person & 4 phone follow-up) in which they will learn effective behavioral strategies to
improve sleep duration (OS) or improve sleep and targeted eating and activity behaviors (OS-Plus); there will
be monthly phone contact during the maintenance period (6-12 months). At baseline, end of treatment (6
months), and 12 months, the following will be measured: sleep duration (actigraphy), eating behaviors (24-hour
dietary recalls, eating self regulation), physical activity (accelerometry), anthropometrics (height, weight, waist
circumference), and additional cardiometabolic risk factors (adiposity, lipids, and glucose regulation). Primary
aim is to determine the efficacy of OS-Plus rel...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9955349
- **Project number:** 5R01HL092910-08
- **Recipient organization:** TEMPLE UNIV OF THE COMMONWEALTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Chantelle Nobile Hart
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $748,978
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2011-08-15 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9955349

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9955349, Enhancing Sleep Duration: Effects of Children's Eating and Activity Behaviors (5R01HL092910-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9955349. Licensed CC0.

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