The research team is currently recruiting Canadian children between the ages of 5 and 11 who have no history of chronic disease and are not currently taking any medications to participate in the Nutrition and Growth Study over a period of 2, 5 years
“Adequate nutrition is important at all ages, but it is especially important during childhood for optimal physical growth and cognitive development, as well as for building a strong foundation for healthy eating practices that can be applied throughout life. life,” said Dr. Hassan Vatanparast (MD). , PhD), principal investigator of the study and professor at the USask College of Pharmacy and Nutrition, and at the School of Public Health.
According to Vatanparast, dairy products contain significant amounts of nutrients, such as calcium, vitamin D and high-quality protein, which contribute to optimal health.
“While we know that these nutrients are necessary for healthy growth and development in children, we do not know the specific contribution of dairy foods to the growth and cognitive development of Canadian children,” said Vatanparast. “We also lack knowledge of Canadian children’s knowledge and attitudes toward healthy eating, particularly dairy consumption, as well as any facilitators or barriers to consuming dairy products.”
Using a new mixed-methods longitudinal study design, the team will assess many factors, including: measuring physical growth and cognitive development; assess bone density and content, body composition, and growth biomarkers; monitoring of cognitive development; and the collection of additional information on physical activity, diet, and various sociodemographic factors every six months during the study period.
Families who choose to participate in this study will receive comprehensive health information about their child’s growth and development, as well as an honorarium.
For more information about the study, please contact: Zoe Bye or Mojtaba Shafiee at zlb912@mail.usask.ca or vnel@usask.ca or 306-229-9563.