Drivers and Barriers for Adopting Healthy and Sustainable Food Swaps in Young

Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18-30
SponsorUniversity of Aberdeen

About this trial

Food represents one of the greatest health and environmental challenges of the 21st century. Consuming less of the most environmentally damaging foods, such as meat, is considered an effective method to reduce food-related greenhouse gas emissions. The aim of these N-of-1 FOOD SWAP intervention studies is to investigate whether and which physiological, psychological and environmental factors, at an individual level, modify the adoption and adherence of food swaps aiming to reduce the intake of red meat and replace this with fish or plant-based foods, in young adults. The series of N-of-1 studies will also assess whether an 8-week food swap intervention will improve general health markers such as blood pressure, plasma lipids and glucose, and blood/urinary metabotype. This approach will provide insight into physiological, behavioural and environmental factors that can help explain individual fluctuations in adherence and physiological outcomes common in nutrition studies. In the future, this should enable us to tailor how we deliver effective individualised interventions and better consider and control for factors affecting adherence and response to dietary interventions.

Eligibility criteria

This trial accepts healthy volunteers

Qualifiers

men and women

aged 18-30 years,

having a high baseline consumption of red meat (More than 70 grams per day or 280 grams per 4 days)

who are willing to make their diet healthier and more sustainable but do not know how or are facing barriers

Disqualifiers

Having a lower red meat consumption (less than 70 grams per day or 240 grams per 4 days)

being vegetarian or vegan

having a clinical diagnosis of hypertension or high cholesterol, having unstable or untreated thyroid disorder

taking blood pressure and/or cholesterol-lowering medications (e.g. beta blockers or statins)

Trial design

Design model

Single group

Treatments tested in this trial

  • Food Swap

    Other intervention

    Personalised food swaps and dietary advice on how to incorporate these swaps into their usual diet

Treatment groups

30 Participants
are divided into 1 treatment group
Group A: N of 1 interventionExperimental treatment 1 intervention

Trial outcomes

Primary outcomes

1

Grams of red meat consumption

During the first eight weeks (period A1), participants will be instructed to follow their usual diet. From week 9 (period B), participants will start the intervention, where they will receive the food swaps identified and agreed by them during a food swap interview. During the final eight weeks (period A2), participants will cease intervention products. The grams of red meat will be monitored before, during and after the intervention.

Time frame
6 months

Secondary outcomes

1

Weight

Kg of bodyweight

Time frame
6 months
2

Nutiritional status

Body Mass Index

Time frame
6 months
3

Blood pressure

Including systolic pressure and diastolic pressure readings (mmHg)

Time frame
6 months
4

Total cholesterol

mmol/L, measured every 4 weeks

Time frame
6 months

Other outcomes

Sponsors and contacts

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