School-Based 12-Hour Time-Restricted Eating to Prevent and Control Childhood Obesity in 8- to 10-Year-Olds A Cluster-Randomized Trial

What this Trial Is About

Childhood obesity is a growing global public health issue that affects both physical and mental health during childhood and may continue into adulthood, increasing cardiovascular disease risk. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a 12-hour time-restricted eating TRE program implemented in schools to prevent and control childhood obesity, focusing on children aged 8 to 10 years during a critical period for obesity prevention. The trial is a school-based cluster randomized controlled study comparing TRE combined with routine health education to routine health education alone. In this study, schools are randomly assigned to either an intervention group receiving 12-hour TRE plus routine health education or a control group receiving only routine health education following the Guiding Outline for Health Education in Primary and Secondary Schools. The TRE involves limiting the daily eating window to 12 hours, with the last meal no later than 1900, allowing free choice of the eating window and no calorie restriction, with non-caloric drinks permitted during fasting. The intervention lasts 9 months, covering one academic year. Participants will be monitored from enrollment through the end of treatment at 9 months, with researchers measuring changes in BMI-Z score as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include changes in overweight or obesity prevalence, BMI, waist-to-hip ratio, blood pressure, eating behavior, physical activity, and quality of life. Daily eating times are recorded, and health education is provided. The study aims to assess how the TRE intervention influences weight management and obesity rates in school-aged children.

Effectiveness of School-Based Time-Restricted Eating for the Prevention and Control of Obesity in Children