Pennington Biomedical Research Centre is recruiting 900 children and their families across Louisiana for a five-year study aiming to improve understanding and treatment of childhood obesity, focusing on communities disproportionately affected.
Pennington Biomedical Research Centre is recruiting families across Louisiana for a study that aims to better understand and treat childhood obesity, a condition affecting more than one in five children and adolescents in the United States. The centre says the COACH trial is seeking 900 children aged 5 to 17 who have obesity, along with their parents, through paediatric clinics in both Louisiana and Tennessee.
Childhood obesity has become a persistent public health problem. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says the share of affected children has more than tripled since the 1970s, and recent federal data show especially high rates among Hispanic and Black children, as well as children in rural areas. Researchers say those gaps underline the need for interventions that can reach families in different communities and settings.
The trial is backed by a $13.8 million, five-year grant from the Patient-Centred Outcomes Research Institute, with Amanda Staiano of Pennington Biomedical and William Heerman of Vanderbilt University serving as co-lead investigators. In Louisiana, recruitment is under way through clinics in places including Baton Rouge, Livingston, Shreveport, New Orleans and smaller communities such as Franklin, Houma and Morgan City.
Pennington Biomedical says the study is designed to involve children whose body mass index is at or above the 95th percentile for their age and sex, a clinical measure used to identify obesity in young people. Families interested in taking part can find more information through the trial’s website.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
