The Effect of Diet on Learning Abilities for Children in Kindergarden

National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research, Norway

Status: Completed

Conditions: Cognitive Performance

Treatments: Other: Non-seafood; Other: Seafood

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02331667

2014/1396

Details and patient eligibility

About

The main aim of this intervention study is to test the effect of diet on improvement in cognitive performanc in kindergarden children aged 4-6 years. Children will be randomly allocated into two groups, one consuming prepared meals with herring or mackerel for four months, and one group consuming meals containing meat as a control group.

Full description

Positive effects of n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), as provided by fatty fish intake, on cognitive functions are widely accepted, but so far there is no clear evidence from randomized intervention studies in children and young adults, although fish intake has been positively associated with cognitive functions in observational studies. The main aim of this study is to test the effect of diet on improvement in cognitive performance in kindergarden children aged 4-6 years. In the intervention study, children will be randomly allocated into two groups, one consuming prepared meals with herring or mackerel for four months, and one group consuming meals containing meat as a control group. The children (n=200) will consume the prepared meals three times a week. Cognitive performance of the children will be tested at study start and end using the the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI_III) and nine hole peg test. Children will be screened for mental health problems in the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which is a global measure of children's mental health. Compliance will be monitored by documentation of study fish intake and measuring fatty acid status. For a more detailed investigation of effects of increased herring and mackerel intake, before and after intervention blood and urine will be collected for lipidomic analysis (metabolites), vitamin D and iodine determination and genotyping (fatty acid metabolism and inflammation).

Enrollment: 233 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 4 to 6 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Being 4-6 years old.
• Sufficient command of the Norwegian language of child to participate in cognitive testing and of child and parents to comply with study requirements according to investigators estimation.

Exclusion criteria

• Known food allergies

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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233 participants in 2 patient groups

Seafood

Experimental group

Description:

Intervention with meals consisting of seafood (herring and mackrell).

Treatment:

Other: Seafood

Non-seafood

Experimental group

Description:

Intervention with meals constisting of non-seafood (meat).

Treatment:

Other: Non-seafood