The aim of this study is to test the efficacy, feasibility, and acceptability of the UCD PLAN'EAT Living Lab in promoting sustainable and healthy dietary behaviours among university students. This study will compare within participant changes in diet-related pre-specified outcomes (detailed below) at Living Lab baseline and endpoint and examine differences across participant engagement levels (e.g., low engagement versus high engagement) in Living Lab studies and events/ activities.
Be a UCD student (aged 18-30 years) attending Belfield Campus.
Be a healthy adult between the age of 18-30 years old, and in good general health.
Do not attend UCD Belfield Campus.
Are under 18 years of age or over 30 years of age.
Have a diagnosis of an acute or chronic medical condition that could interfere with the outcomes of the study. Such diagnoses include (but are not limited to) cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, cancers (within the last 5 years), etc.
Sequential
Living Lab approach to improve sustainable and healthy dietary behaviours
BehavioralLiving Lab baseline data collection measures, plus invitations to Study 1 and Study 2 and events/ activities (optional), and LL endpoint data collection measures.
Living Lab: Legume intake (grams per day)
Student participants will record their diet at LL baseline (habitual diet) and LL endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Legume intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: up to 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: up to 3x 24-hour recalls). The primary outcome measure is the change in legume intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Plant-based food intake (grams per day)
Student participants will record their diet at LL baseline (habitual diet) and LL endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Plant-based food intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: up to 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: up to 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in plant-based food intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Fruit intake (grams per day)
Student participants will record their diet at LL baseline (habitual diet) and LL endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Fruit intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: up to 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: up to 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in fruit intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Vegetable intake (grams per day)
Student participants will record their diet at LL baseline (habitual diet) and LL endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Vegetable intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: up to 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: up to 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in vegetable intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Meat intake (grams per day)
Student participants will record their diet at LL baseline (habitual diet) and LL endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Meat intake will be calculated using dietary intake records (baseline: up to 3x 24-hour recalls; endpoint: up to 3x 24-hour recalls). The secondary outcome measure is the change in meat intake (g/ day) as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Diet-related greenhouse gas emissions reported as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents per day
Student participants will record their diet at LL baseline (habitual diet) and LL endpoint (intervention diet) using an online 24-hour recall method. Diet-related greenhouse gas emissions will be estimated using food, nutrient, and food-related greenhouse gas emission databases (measured as kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalents). The tertiary outcome measure is the change in diet-related greenhouse gas emissions (kgCO2-eq/day) as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Self-reported factors influencing sustainable and healthy dietary behaviours: Self-efficacy
Student participants will record their self-reported self-efficacy at LL baseline and LL endpoint via a questionnaire. Each participant's score can range from 8-40 (with 40 indicating greater self-efficacy). The quaternary outcome measure is the change in participants self-reported self-efficacy as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Self-reported factors influencing sustainable and healthy dietary behaviours: Self-reported behavioural automaticity index
Student participants will record their self-reported behavioural automaticity at LL baseline and LL endpoint via a questionnaire. Each participant's score can range from 4-28 (with 4 indicating low behavioural automaticity and 28 indicating high behavioural automaticity). The quaternary outcome measure is the change in participants self-reported behavioural automaticity as a result of the intervention.
Living Lab: Process Evaluation
At the end of the LL study, student participants will complete an evaluation questionnaire. Stakeholder participants and a subsample of student participants will be invited to participate in focus groups or one-to-one interviews. Participants will evaluate the Living Lab study on topics encompassing, for example, their study experience, study acceptability, factors affecting participation rates (e.g., barriers and enablers), study engagement, perceived study effectiveness, and suggestions for improvement. The questionnaire and focus groups/ interviews will be guided by the Acceptability, Practicality, Effectiveness, Affordability, Spill-over effects, and Equity (APEASE) criteria. The quinary outcome is stakeholder and student participants' evaluation of the LL study.
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University College Dublin
Lead sponsor
PLAN'EAT Consortium (https://planeat-project.eu/)
Collaborator
