Free school meals: a recipe for healthier, happier kids?
NCT ID NCT07389421
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at how a national program providing free school meals affects the health, well-being, and learning of Danish children aged 10 to 15. Over 3,200 kids from schools offering free meals will be compared to those without. Researchers will track changes in quality of life, mental health, and cognitive skills over 1.5 years, using surveys and health measurements.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- free school meals (behavioral intervention)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could show that providing free, nutritious school meals improves children's health, well-being, and learning, and may help reduce social inequalities.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational natural experiment, not a controlled trial, so results may be influenced by other factors. The study is not yet recruiting and outcomes are based on questionnaires and cognitive tests, which may not capture long-term effects.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 3,200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Feb 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2029
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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9 to 14 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * All children attending 3rd, 4th or 7th grade in the recruited schools Exclusion Criteria: * No exclusion criteria will be applied
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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