Diet and Learning Abilities in Norwegian Youths

NCT ID: NCT02350322

Last Updated: 2016-01-12

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 478 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2015-01-31
• Study Completion Date: 2015-06-30

Brief Summary

The aim of this study is to assess the effects of giving a schoolmeal with fatty fish, a schoolmeal without fish or omega-3 capsules on Noregian adolescents cognitive performance (concentration and learning abilities), mental health statua and markers of nutritional status. In addition, to disentangle the effect of fatty fish eaten as food and the effects of omega-3 fatty acids taken as a supplement.

Detailed Description

There has been an increased attention to the role of nutrition for learning abilities among schoolchildren. As the diet provides humans with energy and several essential nutrients, a balanced supply of all nutrients promotes not only physical growth and health, but also cognitive development, helping children to learn from infancy throughout adolescence and beyond. In a three-armed non-blinded intervention trial the investigators will test whether ingestion of a schoolmeal or omega-3 capsules will improve cognitive function among pupils in 9th grade at eight lower secondary school. The pupils will be randomised into three groups, one group will be served lunch with fatty fish, one group will be served similar lunch with meat/cheese (without fish) and one group will recieve omega-3 capsules three times week over a period of 12 weeks. At the beginning and at the end of the study, pupils should conduct cognitive tests, and blood-, urine- and hair samples will be taken. The pupils should also answer a questionnaire on their diet, physical activity, sleep pattern and mental health.

Conditions

Cognitive Performance; Health Behavior; Nutrient Status

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Schoolmeal with fatty fish

Fatty fish diet

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Schoolmeal with fatty fish

Intervention Type: OTHER

Schoolmeal with fatty fish three times a week for 12 weeks

Schoolmeal without fish

Meat/cheese diet (non-seafood)

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Schoolmeal without fish

Intervention Type: OTHER

Schoolmeal with meat/cheese three times a week for 12 weeks

Supplement

Omega-3 capsules

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Supplement

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Omega-3 capsules three times a week for 12 weeks

Interventions

Schoolmeal with fatty fish

Schoolmeal with fatty fish three times a week for 12 weeks

Intervention Type: OTHER

Schoolmeal without fish

Schoolmeal with meat/cheese three times a week for 12 weeks

Intervention Type: OTHER

Supplement

Omega-3 capsules three times a week for 12 weeks

Intervention Type: DIETARY_SUPPLEMENT

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• girls and boys at lower secondary schools (9th grade)

Exclusion Criteria

• allergy or intolerance to the food or food ingredients in the study

• Minimum Eligible Age: 14 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 15 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Tromso

OTHER

Sponsor Role: collaborator

National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research, Norway

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Lisbeth Dahl

PhD

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Ingvild Eide Graff, PhD

Role: STUDY_DIRECTOR

NIFES, PO Box 2029 Nordnes, N-5817 Bergen, Norway

Locations

Lisbeth Dahl

Bergen, , Norway

Countries

Norway

References

Handeland K, Skotheim S, Baste V, Graff IE, Froyland L, Lie O, Kjellevold M, Markhus MW, Stormark KM, Oyen J, Dahl L. The effects of fatty fish intake on adolescents' nutritional status and associations with attention performance: results from the FINS-TEENS randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2018 Feb 23;17(1):30. doi: 10.1186/s12937-018-0328-z.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 29475446 (View on PubMed)

Handeland K, Oyen J, Skotheim S, Graff IE, Baste V, Kjellevold M, Froyland L, Lie O, Dahl L, Stormark KM. Fatty fish intake and attention performance in 14-15 year old adolescents: FINS-TEENS - a randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2017 Oct 2;16(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s12937-017-0287-9.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 28969711 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

FHF 900842 WP6

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id