The feasibility of the “omega kid” study protocol: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effect of omega-3 supplementation on self-regulation in preschool-aged children
Roach, Lauren A., Byrne, Mitchell K., Howard, Steven J., Johnstone, Stuart J., Batterham, Marijka, Wright, Ian M.R., Okely, Anthony D., de Groot, Renate H.M., van der Wurff, Inge S.M., Jones, Alison, and Meyer, Barbara J. (2021) The feasibility of the “omega kid” study protocol: A double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial investigating the effect of omega-3 supplementation on self-regulation in preschool-aged children. Nutrients, 13 (1). 213.
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Abstract
Self-regulation, the regulation of behaviour in early childhood, impacts children’s success at school and is a predictor of health, wealth, and criminal outcomes in adulthood. Self-regulation may be optimised by dietary supplementation of omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFAs). The aim of the “Omega Kid” study is to investigate the feasibility of a protocol to investigate whether n-3 LCPUFA supplementation enhances self-regulation in preschool-aged children. The protocol assessed involved a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial of 12 weeks duration, with an intervention of 1.6 g of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day (0.3 g EPA and 1.3 g DHA) in a microencapsulated powder compared to placebo. Children (n = 78; 40 boys and 38 girls) aged 3–5 years old were recruited and randomly allocated to the treatment (n = 39) or placebo group (n = 39). The HS–Omega-3 Index® served as a manipulation check on the delivery of either active (n-3 LCPUFAs) or placebo powders. Fifty-eight children (76%) completed the intervention (28–30 per group). Compliance to the study protocol was high, with 92% of children providing a finger-prick blood sample at baseline and high reported-adherence to the study intervention (88%). Results indicate that the protocol is feasible and may be employed in an adequately powered clinical trial to test the hypothesis that n-3 LCPUFA supplementation will improve the self-regulation of preschool-aged children.
Item ID: | 67006 |
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Item Type: | Article (Research - C1) |
ISSN: | 2072-6643 |
Keywords: | Executive function, Feasibility, N-3 LCPUFAs, Preschool-aged children, Self-regulation |
Copyright Information: | © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Date Deposited: | 26 May 2022 00:10 |
FoR Codes: | 32 BIOMEDICAL AND CLINICAL SCIENCES > 3213 Paediatrics > 321302 Infant and child health @ 100% |
SEO Codes: | 20 HEALTH > 2005 Specific population health (excl. Indigenous health) > 200506 Neonatal and child health @ 100% |
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