Childhood

This study will explore how children's eating behaviors are connected to brain activity and body fat levels. Researchers are especially interested in a behavior pattern called the PACE phenotype, which includes how much children eat when offered large portions, how quickly they eat, their appetite traits, and their ability to control eating. The goal is to better understand why some children are more likely to gain weight than others. The study will include children between the ages of 7 and 9 and will follow them for one year. Researchers will use brain scans, lab-based meal observations, and questionnaires to study how children respond to food and how their eating patterns relate to body fat at the start of the study and one year later. The study will also look at how family background, parenting, and other factors might protect some children from gaining excess weight even if they show risky eating behaviors. Results may help identify which children are most at risk for obesity and guide future strategies for prevention.

The main goals of the exploratory, cross-sectional survey among vegans are to reveal influencing factors, sources of information gathering, reasons for choosing certain dietary supplements of pregnant vegans and parents, difficulties in administering dietary supplements to children, and the compliance of dietary supplements of vegans, because there is no data available yet. Results serve as a starting point for comprehensive information provision for surveyed vegans and provide insight into the nutritional knowledge of vegans. The advisory role of the medical experts is essential to provide vegans with reliable information on a balanced vegan diet and dietary supplements. The opinion of medical experts has a decisive influence on the health of vegans. For this reason the content of their advice will be assessed. The main questions the study aims to answer are: Do vegan pregnant women and parents know about possible nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy and childhood and who do they turn to for information about nutritional supplements? What is the quality of the information received?

To quantify health effects of synergizing chemical and biological pollutants in a targeted population setting, i.e., school-aged children. Indoor air pollutants will be monitored within the classrooms with high end sensors. Exposure data from additional sources (outdoor, home, transports) will be obtained. Health outcomes will be assessed prospectively using validated medical procedures and real-time tracking with mobile health (mHealth) equipment and a gamified computer app.