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The role of dairy in optimal growth and development of Canadian children: A longitudinal study

In Progress

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This project tracks how dairy affects the health, growth, and development of Canadian children aged 5 to 11 over time.

Project Overview 

This study will investigate how dairy intake is associated with growth and development, as well as knowledge, attitudes, facilitators and barriers regarding milk and dairy food consumption among Canadian boys and girls aged 5-11 years.  

What Will the Research Team Do? 

The research team will follow Canadian children aged 5 to 11 over 2.5 years to study the effects of dairy on growth, development, and diet quality. The primary objectives of this work are to: 

  • Understand children’s knowledge, attitudes, and habits around milk and dairy foods and what helps or hinders their consumption. 
  • Measure how dairy contributes to kids’ overall nutrition and dietary quality. 
  • Explore how dairy intake is linked to body composition, growth, and cognitive development in Canadian children. 

Principal Investigator 

Hassan Vatanparast 
University of Saskatchewan 

Co-Investigators 

Adam Baxter Jones 
University of Saskatchewan 

Marta Erlandson 
University of Saskatchewan 

Jess Haines 
University of Guelph 

Walter Siqueira 
University of Saskatchewan 

Ginny Lane 
University of Idaho 

Susan Petryk 
Saskatchewan Health Authority 

Key Words 

  • Child growth, Dairy consumption, Longitudinal study 

Period: 2022-2027

Last Updated: April 01, 2025

Funding Partners

Note: As per the research agreement, aside from providing financial support, the funders have no decision-making role in the conduct of the studies, data collection, and analysis or interpretation of the data. Researchers are independent in conducting their studies, own their data, and report the outcomes regardless of the results. The decision to publish the results rests entirely with the researchers.