Table 1.
Overview of measurements and variables collected at baseline examination (T0) and at two follow-up examinations (T1 and T3) in children and their parents
| Method/ instrument | Measure of interest | Time of measurement |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T0 | T1 | T3 | ||
| Questionnaires | ||||
| Parental report for themselves, their children and their family | General information about the respondent/the family | X | X | X |
| Parenting style | ||||
| Information about pregnancy, breastfeeding and infancy for each child | ||||
| Attitudes towards TV advertisements | ||||
| Meal habits of the family | ||||
| Socio-demographic characteristics of parents | ||||
| Medical history (all children) | ||||
| Medications (all children) | ||||
| Physical activity | - | - | X | |
| Sleeping habits | ||||
| Dietary behaviour, dieting and food frequency | ||||
| Medical history | ||||
| Household structure and family kinship | ||||
| Web-based 24-h dietary recall | ||||
| Accelerometer diary | ||||
| Parental report for children aged < 12 years and self- report of adolescents aged ≥ 12 years | General information about the child/teenager | X | X | X |
| Well-being | ||||
| Children’s/teenagers’ spending | ||||
| Media consumption | ||||
| Physical activity | ||||
| Sleeping habitsa | ||||
| Dietary behaviour, dieting and food frequency | ||||
| Web-based/computer-assisted 24-h dietary recallb | ||||
| Accelerometer diary | ||||
| Self-report of parents and adolescents aged ≥ 12 years | Family life, family rules | X | X | X |
| Body image | - | - | X | |
| Impulsiveness | ||||
| Smoking/alcohol consumption | ||||
| School grades (adolescents only) | ||||
| Peer networks (adolescents only) | ||||
| Self-report of parents and children aged ≥ 6 years | Food and beverage preferences | – | – | X |
| Self-report of children aged ≥ 8 years | Tanner stage (drawing) | – | – | X |
| Examinations and testse | ||||
| Physical examination | Anthropometry (weight, height, waist circumference, skinfolds) | X | X | X |
| Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) | ||||
| Calcaneal ultrasonography (bone stiffness)f | ||||
| Blood pressure | ||||
| Pulse ratef (only T0) | ||||
| Biological samples (non-invasive) | DNA from mouth mucosal cells in salivac | X | X | X |
| Biological markers in morning urine | ||||
| Biological samples (invasive)d | Biological markers in fasting venous or capillary blood | X | X | X |
| Accelerometry | Physical activity (T0-T1: 3 days; T3: 7 days) | X | X | X |
| Sleep duration and qualityf | – | – | X | |
| Accelerometry and GPS sensorsf | Location of physical activity using the global positioning system (GPS) | – | – | X |
| Physical fitness testsf | Handgrip strengthe | X | X | X |
| Coordination (flamingo balance, sit and reach), motor fitness (standing broad jump), cardiorespiratory fitness (shuttle-run-test, 40-m sprint) | X | – | – | |
| Sensory taste perception testsf | Taste thresholds (not T3), taste preference, taste intensity (only T3) | X | X | X |
| Neuropsychological tests in parents and children ≥ 8 years old | Self-administered computer-assisted tests on decision making (Hungry Donkey Test, Bechara Gambling Task), set shifting capacity (Wisconsin Card Sorting Test), inhibitory capacity (Stop Signal Test) | – | – | X |
| Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)f | Neurological response to visual food cues | – | – | X |
| Secondary data | ||||
| Geographic information systems (GIS)g | Linkage of characteristics of the built environment with GPS and accelerometer data | – | X | X |
| Maternity cards and records of routine child visits | Data on morbidity and growth of children during pregnancy and early childhood | X | X | X |
a
At T0 and T1 only sleep duration.
b
Self-report of children ≥ 8 years at T3.
c
Only newly recruited subjects.
d
If venepuncture was refused, children were asked for capillary blood (only T0 - T1).
e
Parents only at T3 and only optional.
f
Only in subsamples of school-aged children.
g
Only in three selected geographical regions.