Health TrialsbyHealthPanel

Adapting Food Culture to the Mediterranean Pattern for International Students in Italy

ConditionsPhysical InactivityEating DisordersEating HabitDiet, HealthyDiet Habit
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversity of Pavia

About this trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to describe the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the nutritional status, the level of physical activity, and possible eating disorders in international students attending the University of Pavia before and after a food education intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are:

Does the intervention of food education change the nutritional status of the international students of the University of Pavia? Does the intervention of food education change the level of physical activity of international students of the University of Pavia? Does the intervention of food education change the possible risk of eating disorders related to the possible change of diet from the country of origin of international students? Researchers will compare the measurements done at the first meeting to the measurements made at the last meeting (6 months) to see if the food educational intervention helped the students.

Participants will:

* have the body composition analysed by anthropometric measurements (weight, height, electric bio impedance) * Receive personalized guidance and support from our team of experts for 6 months.

Visit the clinic 3 times (beginning, 3 months, and by the end of 6 months) for check-ups and tests, and participate in online meetings the other 3 months (second, fourth, and fifth).

Answer online questionnaires and perform a 3-day food diary (beginning, 3 months, and by the end of 6 months).

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

≥ 18 years old

Able to understand English or Italian

Nationality diverse than Italian

Absence of major morbidities that interfere with food choices, such as diabetes, hypertension, renal dysfunction, etc.

Disqualifiers

≤18 years old;

Italian nationality;

Presence of major morbidities that interfere with food choices, such as diabetes, hypertension, renal dysfunction, etc.

Trial design

Design model

Single group

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Food education

    Behavioral

    During the consultations are planned at least 6 nutritional education sessions in which the general nutritional advice provided by the Mediterranean Diet will be exposed, and some paper materials can be delivered according to the needs of each individual. 3 in-person meetings and 3 online meetings are planned. Both online and in-person food education sessions will be conducted by experienced nutrition experts monthly. These sessions will cover a range of topics, including the principles of the Mediterranean diet, practical cooking skills, meal-planning strategies, and tips for incorporating Mediterranean-style dishes into daily life

Treatment groups

23 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment group
Group A: InterventionExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Mediterranean Diet Adhrence

Mediterranean Diet Score9 (MEDI-LITE): a tool for measuring adherence to the Mediterranean diet. It assigns points based on the frequency of consumption of nine food categories: (1) fruit; (2) vegetables; (3) cereal grains; (4) legumes; (5) fish and fish products; (6) meat and meat products; (7) dairy products; (8) alcohol intake and (9) olive oil. The final score was obtained by summing these values, and it varies from 0 (low adherence) to 18 (high adherence).

Time frame
6 months

Secondary outcomes

1

Short Form Health Survey

The SF-36, short for the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, is a widely used and well-established tool in the field of health-related quality of life assessment. Higher scores mean a better outcome.

Time frame
6 months
2

Weight

Standardised measurements: weight in kilograms

Time frame
6 months
3

Dietary evaluation

Food diaries: will be requested for all participants a 3-day food diary by baseline, 3 and 6 months. These diaries will be calculated by macro and micronutrient intake. Food frequency questionnaire 110 items will be applied at T0, T3 and T6. The presence of typical Mediterranean food will be considered as a marker of acculturation.

Time frame
6 months
4

Height

Standardised measurements: Height in centimeters (cm)

Time frame
6 months

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.

University of Pavia

Lead sponsor

Source ClinicalTrials.gov
Apply now