NCT05534711Active, not recruiting
The Family Stress Study - Chronic Stress and Child Adiposity: Testing a Bio-behavioural Model
Family Stress Study: A Longitudinal Observational Study Examining Chronic Stress and Weight Gain Pathways in Young Children.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Last updated 8 Jun 2026
Brief summary (registry, in English)
The Family Stress Study is following families with young children in Guelph, Hamilton and surrounding areas over 3 years to understand how chronic stress impacts children's weight gain over time and how this association is mediated by alterations in children's cortisol production and weight-related behaviours.
- Status (registry)
- Active, not recruiting
- Study type
- Observational
- Enrollment
- 300 (estimated)
- First submitted
- 15 Jul 2022
- Start date
- 9 Jul 2020
- Primary completion date
- 30 May 2027
- Lead sponsor
- University of Guelph
- Diseases
- Obesity
- NCT number
- NCT05534711
What you commit to
- Study type: Observational
- Planned participants: 300
- From 9 Jul 2020 to the primary completion date, 30 May 2027
- 2 sites in 1 country
- Visits and tests: ask the trial team, the registry does not list them
Built from the registry fields of ClinicalTrials.gov. It describes the study, not your situation.
Who cannot take part
Copied verbatim from ClinicalTrials.gov and grouped by topic. Only the trial team decides who can take part.
Prior treatment
- Participation in the Guelph Family Health Study (GFHS) - families previously or currently participating in the GFHS will be excluded as the GFHS provided intervention that may bias the results of the current study;
- Children taking steroid medications including oral or inhaled corticosteroids - Hair sample cortisol measurements would be affected by the use of steroid medications;
Other illness
- Health conditions of the children impacting cortisol production, obesity and/or growth/body composition - Hair sample cortisol, fat mass and growth measurements would be affected by these conditions (e.g. Cushing's Disease, Prader Willi Syndrome, untreated thyroid disease);
- Children taking medications for ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), antidepressants or antipsychotic medications - These medications can affect body composition;
Other
- Language - The participating caregiver must be fluent in English since all study communications and survey questions are in English;
- Child custody - The participating caregiver must have at least 50% shared custody of their child (to allow for separated/divorced families to participate ensuring caregivers' reports of family-level stressors are relevant for the child);
- Children born before 34 weeks gestation - Body composition and growth can be affected for children born before 34 weeks.
Who the study is looking for
- Families are eligible to participate if they have at least 1 adult caregiver responsible for the care of a child aged 2-6 years at the time of enrollment (target age group for the study);
- Families must live in the Guelph (i.e.: Wellington County- includes Guelph, Rockwood, Fergus, Elora, Mount Forest, Puslinch, Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo) or Hamilton (i.e.: Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth - includes Hamilton, Ancaster, Dundas, Flamborough, Glanbrook, Stoney Creek as well as Burlington) areas and must not be planning to move outside of these areas within three years;
Age in the registry: 2 years to 6 years · Sex: All · Accepts healthy volunteers
Sites (2)
Sites in registry order. Pick your city on the disease page to sort them by distance.
| Site | City | Country | Site status |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Guelph Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Guelph | Canada | Unknown status |
| McMaster University Coordinator of this site? Confirm its status | Hamilton | Canada | Unknown status |
This page is information, not medical advice. Discuss any trial with your doctor.