Nutrition in Food Allergy Study

Study Description

The Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center (ACNC) and the Arkansas Children’s Food Allergy Program (AC-FA) are teaming up to study nutrition and growth in kids with food allergies compared to kids without food allergies.

Duration

The study will last about two years. It will include three main visits: the first one when you and your child are enrolled, the second one 12 months after enrollment, and the third one 24 months after enrollment. Each visit will last about 4.5 hours, but potentially less.

Study Eligibility

Children 2 to 11 years old:

• With 3 or more food allergies, who have not been eating those foods for the past 6 months or longer OR
• With no food allergies and no other allergy-related conditions, who have a full and unrestricted diet

Study Visits

All study visits are at ACNC, where we will:

• Collect samples from your child, including: blood, skin (using adhesive stickers), urine, and stool
• Measure your child’s body (height, weight, hips, and fat/muscle mass)
• Perform an allergy skin test on your child (only at the first visit if they do not have food allergies, though)
• Ask you and your child to complete questionnaires about your child’s health, medical history, diet, physical activity, and home environment, amongst other things.

Following Each Visit

We will ask you and your child to complete the following activities at home:

• Keeping a diary of your child’s sleep and what they eat for 3 days
• Your child wearing an activity monitor on their ankle for 7 days
• We will ask you to come back to ACNC once these are complete

Compensation

You and your child will receive $200 for each of the three study visits - $100 after the initial visit, and the remaining $100 after bringing back diaries, activity monitor, and stool sample.