Join TARGet Kids!

TARGet Kids! recruits families with children who are under 6 years old and are healthy. Children who visit primary care physicians at our participating clinics have the option of joining TARGet Kids!. Eligible participants will receive a letter from the TARGet Kids! team two weeks before their scheduled doctor's appointment, outlining what it means to be a TARGet Kids! kid.

During your child's visit for their check-up appointment, you will meet the TARGet Kids! research assistant who will speak to you about the study. The research assistant will explain all the details of taking part in the study and will give you a consent form to sign if you want to join the study. You can take as much time as you wish to go over the consent form and to discuss any questions or concerns you may have before signing.

If you agree for your child to take part in the study, you can expect the following:

1. You will receive a package of questionnaires based on your child's age. It will take about 45 minutes to complete all the forms.

2. The research assistant will measure you and your child's height, weight and waist circumference. Blood pressure will be measured only for your child.

3. Depending on their age, a small blood sample (2-3 teaspoons) will be collected from your child by an experienced paediatric phlebotomist or nurse.

TARGet Kids! research is longitudinal which means we will be following your child every year into adolescence. The 3-step process listed above will be repeated each year.

We enroll children in TARGet Kids! through their paediatrician or family doctor’s offices during their regularly scheduled appointments.

We collect information on height, weight, waist circumference, and lifestyle factors such as nutrition, physical activity and amount of screen time. We also collect a blood sample. We are creating a database of information for future studies that aim to improve the health of children.

The potential benefits for your child participating in the TARGet Kids! study include:

• Staying up to date and informed about your child’s health.

• Your child will have a blood profile done which is outside the standard of care for children. The results from the blood profile will inform your doctor of your child's nutritional status. Depending on the results, the doctor may recommend changes in your child's diet or lifestyle.

• The results of TARGet Kids! research based on your child's participation, may help keep children healthy across Canada and the world.

To enrol in TARGet Kids!, your child must be a patient of one of these participating clinics.