The aim of this study is to test the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of a novel, behaviour-focused personalised nutrition intervention compared to a control personalised nutrition intervention for improving adherence to sustainable and healthy dietary recommendations in university students.
Participants will be recruited from the University College Dublin (UCD) PLAN'EAT Living Lab (LL) Citizen Panel which will form a separate registration. The UCD PLAN'EAT LL is a series of studies designed to develop, implement, and evaluate strategies to support University students' transition towards a sustainable healthy diet. The UCD PLAN'EAT LL study will recruit up to n=500 healthy students (aged 18-30 years) attending UCD, Belfield Campus, to join the UCD PLAN'EAT LL Citizen Panel. Upon successful screening and completion of informed consent, participants will be invited to join the UCD PLAN'EAT LL Citizen Panel and complete initial baseline data collection measures (which will be detailed in a separate registration). Following completion of this baseline data collection, participants within the UCD PLAN'EAT LL Citizen Panel will be subsequently invited to participate in this study detailed below. Participants within the UCD PLAN'EAT LL Citizen Panel will be invited to participate in a 4-week study. This study will aim to recruit n=40 participants within the UCD PLAN'EAT LL Citizen Panel. After successful screening and informed consent, participants will be randomised into two separate groups (n=20 control group; n=20 intervention group) receiving different types of personalised recommendations and strategies using decision tree algorithms to support them to consume a healthier and more sustainable diet. The control group will receive a personalised dietary plan and standardised behavioural support (based on previous personalised nutrition trials and usual care in dietetic practice) to meet their personalised dietary recommendations. The intervention group will receive the same as the control group, with the addition of receiving personalised behavioural support and strategies to help them meet their personalised dietary recommendations. Baseline: Participants will be asked to complete a questionnaire including questions on demographics, health, dietary behaviours, and lifestyle and a dietary assessment. The dietary assessment will include 3 online 24-hour dietary recalls (2 non-consecutive weekdays and 1 weekend day) (via the web-based dietary recall tool, Foodbook24). Following completion of baseline measures, participants will be invited to attend a study visit in UCD. Participants will undergo a diet counselling session, where they will receive a personalised feedback report and advice from a nutritionist on how to achieve their goal of eating a more sustainable and healthy diet. Midpoint: Participants will be contacted by a member of the research team via email or phone message to check their progression and to address any queries. Endpoint: At the end of the 4-week study, participants will complete a diet-related questionnaire and a second dietary assessment. The dietary assessment will include 3 online 24-hour dietary recalls (2 non-consecutive weekdays and 1 weekend day) (via the web-based dietary recall tool, Foodbook24). Following completion of endpoint measures, retention rates (number of participants who complete endpoint measures / number of participants enrolled into the study x 100) and data completion rates (number of complete datasets for each outcome measure / number of participants enrolled ×100) will be calculated to assess study feasibility and acceptability. Process Evaluation: At the end of this study, all participants will be invited to complete a study evaluation questionnaire including feasibility, acceptability, and engagement measures. In addition, a subsample of participants will also be invited to participate in focus groups or one-to-one interviews to explore topics on study feasibility encompassing, for example, their study experience, study acceptability, factors affecting participation rates (e.g., barriers/ enablers), study engagement, and suggestions for improvement. The focus groups or one-to-one interviews will be guided by the APEASE (Acceptability, Practicality, Effectiveness, Affordability, Side-effects, Equity) criteria.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
57
Personalised dietary plan and standardised behavioural support (based on previous personalised nutrition trials and usual care in dietetic practice), plus the addition of receiving personalised behavioural support and strategies.
Personalised dietary plan and standardised behavioural support and strategies (based on previous personalised nutrition trials and usual care in dietetic practice).
University College Dublin
Dublin, Ireland
Legume intake (grams per day)
Participants will record their diet at baseline (habitual diet) and endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Legume intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: 3x 24-hour recalls). The primary outcome measure is the change in legume intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention diet.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Plant-based food intake (grams per day)
Participants will record their diet at baseline (habitual diet) and endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Plant-based food intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in plant-based food intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention diet.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Fruit intake (grams per day)
Participants will record their diet at baseline (habitual diet) and endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Fruit intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in fruit intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention diet.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Vegetable intake (grams per day)
Participants will record their diet at baseline (habitual diet) and endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Vegetable intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in vegetable intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention diet.
Time frame: 4 weeks
Meat intake (grams per day)
Participants will record their diet at baseline (habitual diet) and endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Meat intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in meat intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention diet.
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Time frame: 4 weeks
High fat, sugar, salt (HFSS) food intake (grams per day)
Participants will record their diet at baseline (habitual diet) and endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. High fat, sugar, and salt food intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in high fat, sugar, and salt food intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention diet.
Time frame: 4 weeks