Health Impacts of Street Vended Fruits

Bangladesh Agricultural University639 enrolled

Overview

This study will employ a randomized controlled intervention design to evaluate the health impacts of consuming fresh-cut street-vended fruits, focusing on microbial contamination and gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms. A total of 300 participants will be recruited and divided into treatment (consuming guava, pineapple, or watermelon) and control groups (no fruit consumption). Fruit samples will be analyzed for microbial contamination, including S. aureus and E. coli, using standard microbiological and molecular techniques. Data on GI symptoms will be collected through questionnaires and analyzed using statistical methods, such as Chi-square tests, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, and Cox proportional hazards regression. Spearman correlation will identify associations between bacterial presence and specific symptoms. Ethical approval will be obtained, and participant safety will be prioritized. Analytical tools, including IBM SPSS, RStudio, and PyCharm, will be utilized for the analyses.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

639

Conditions

Gastrointestinal Diseases Foodborne Diseases Microbial Contamination

Interventions

Fresh-Cut Guava ConsumptionDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants eat a defined portion of guava.

Fresh-Cut Pineapple ConsumptionDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Participants consumed fresh-cut pineapple purchased from street vendors. Health outcomes, including potential microbial contamination and GI symptoms, were assessed for five days after consumption.

Fresh-Cut Watermelon ConsumptionDIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Fresh-Cut Watermelon Consumption Description: Participants consumed fresh-cut watermelon obtained from street vendors. GI symptoms and microbial contamination effects were monitored for five days following consumption.

Fresh-Cut Guava Consumption (With Gastric Acidity)DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Same as intervention 2, but in participants with acidity

Fresh-Cut Pineapple Consumption (With Gastric Acidity)DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Same as intervention 3, but in participants with acidity.

Fresh-Cut Watermelon Consumption (With Gastric Acidity)DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Same as intervention 4, but in participants with acidity.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Individuals aged 18-60 years. * Residents of Mymensingh District, Bangladesh. * Willing to consume fresh-cut street-vended fruits (guava, pineapple, or watermelon) for five consecutive days. * Individuals with a self-reported history of gastric acidity issues (for the gastric acidity arms). * Individuals with no history of gastric acidity (for the non-gastric acidity arms). * Participants who have not taken antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), or antacids in the last two weeks. * Willing to provide detailed information on their dietary habits and gastrointestinal symptoms through surveys/questionnaires. * Participants who provide informed consent for participation. Exclusion Criteria: * Individuals under 18 years or over 60 years. * Pregnant or lactating women. * Those with a diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder (e.g., peptic ulcer disease, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease). * Individuals with a history of chronic infections or immune-compromising conditions (e.g., HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes). * Participants who have taken antibiotics, PPIs, or antacids within the last two weeks. * Individuals with known allergies to guava, pineapple, or watermelon. * Those who refuse to consume fresh-cut fruits from street vendors. * Participants who do not provide informed consent or are unable to complete the study period.

Health Impacts of Street Vended Fruits

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes