September 16, 2025

The Dose Trial: Dose Intensity of Behavioral Interventions for Childhood Obesity

Page last updated February 4, 2026

ClinicalTrials.gov#: NCT06654323
Study Design: 
Intervention Trial
PCORnet Infrastructure: Common Data Model (CDM), Single IRB, Patient partners or engagement
Principal Investigator: Dr. Bill Heerman
Institution: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
PCORnet® Network Partner: STAR
Funder: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI); (Project webpage)
Funding Date: 2024
Study Duration: 2024 – 2030
Participating PCORnet® Clinical Research Networks:
STAR
Therapeutic Area: Metabolic Disorders; Other, Pediatric Obesity
Status: Recruiting

Research Question(s):

Can children with obesity achieve meaningful improvements in their health with fewer hours of treatment than currently recommended? This study is testing whether shorter versions of a family-based lifestyle program, delivered through pediatric clinics, are just as effective as the full 26-hour version currently recommended by national guidelines. The goal is to find out if families can benefit from a lower-dose program that is easier to complete, while still helping children improve their weight, quality of life, and health behaviors.