DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The K23 candidate is a pediatric psychologist and junior faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado Denver. He recently completed a fellowship (T32 DK063929) in the study of parental feeding practices and treatment of obesity among preschool children, and now seeks a final program of specialized scholarly training and advanced mentorship in order to become an independent federally-funded clinical investigator in pediatric obesity. The candidate's long term career goal is to lead the development of innovative behavioral interventions to improve early childhood nutrition intake, physical activity, and health outcomes in low-income minority families of preschool children with obesity. His immediate career development goals are to: 1) finalize clinical research training; 2) acquire methodological training in qualitative research methods and advanced statistical procedures; 3) acquire new knowledge regarding childhood nutrition related to weight development and assessment; 4) acquire new knowledge regarding sleep duration and obesity; and 5) become a leading federally funded investigator in pediatric obesity. To achieve these career goals, the candidate proposes a five-year program of specialized mentorship and training by nationally recognized experts in childhood obesity; structured learning experiences in quantitative research methodology, advanced psychometric statistical procedures, childhood nutrition and physical activity relevant to childhood obesity, clinical trials methodology, and research ethics; and a three-study research plan. Study 1 will identify how parental feeding styles and the home environment impact child diet, activity level, and weight status. Study 2 will develop and test an intervention to improve parental diet and feeding practices and the home food and activity environment. Study 3 will objectively measure child sleep duration in relation to weight status.

The current program of research will provide the final training for the candidate to become an independent patient-oriented investigator in the area of pediatric obesity. The proposed research provides the identification of modifiable behavioral and environmental variables within populations having limited resources. The program provides preliminary development of an intervention aimed at improving both adequate nutrition and physical activity which are relevant to public health goals on preventing and treating pediatric obesity.