Body Composition Assessment and Smart-phone Based Counselling on Healthy Eating and Weight Management

NCT ID: NCT05400187

Last Updated: 2025-04-08

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 221 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-06-01
• Study Completion Date: 2022-12-31

Brief Summary

This study proposed an integrated multi-disciplinary approach including a professional and convenient body composition measurement and an immediate counselling after the measurement, followed by 6-month smart-phone based individualized counselling. We believe that this approach will promote healthy eating behaviors and weight management among middle-aged Chinese in Hong Kong.

Detailed Description

This is a two-arm, individual level, 6-month randomized controlled trial. The intervention group will receive convenient body composition measurement and 6-month smart-phone based individualized counselling. No specific intervention will be given to the control group except the common anthropometric and body composition measurement. A pretest-posttest evaluation and between-group comparison will be used to test whether the impact/success of the project has been achieved.

Conditions

Weight Management; Healthy Diet

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Body composition assessment and smart-phone based counselling group

In this study, we consider body composition measurement together with an immediate brief counselling after the measurement as part of the intervention. The body composition measurement will allow the participants to get familiar with their own anthropometric data and serve as cues to actions of healthy diet adoption and weight management and control. Based on the measured body fat and anthropometric data, a trained research assistant will give brief individualized dietary and weight management counselling to the participants.

The Whatsapp-based counselling and communication will heighten the awareness through reinforcing the need and benefits of body composition and weight control, the importance of energy balance, as well as providing professional and tailor-made advice on healthy eating and weight management. Qualitative dietary counselling will be offered every two weeks through the Whatsapp.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Body composition assessment and smart-phone based counselling

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

As for the body composition assessment, body fat and muscle thickness, body fat percentage and distribution will be measured and a brief face-to-face counseling soon after the measurement will be implemented to the participants. Body assessment were measured by the InBody 270 (Biospace, Seoul, Korea) device, which provides a convenient way of accurate body fat measurement comparable with those obtained using air displacement plethysmography (ADP) (about 90% precision).

As for the Whatsapp-based counselling and communication session, qualitative dietary counselling will be offered every two weeks through the Whatsapp. One session contains 15 minutes, including the topics like making a balanced diet (55 % glucose, 30 % lipids and 15 % proteins), diversifying food intake, dietary advices and recommendations in healthy eating behaviors (e.g., eat slowly, eat at a regular time, avoid to skip a meal, drink at least 1.5 L of water each day).

Control group

Participants in the control group will receive the simple body composition measurement only, without an immediate counselling after the measurement. Whey will be informed the values of anthropometric data and body composition parameters, no detailed interpretation of the values will be delivered to them. They will also not receive the professional consultant of the healthy diet and weight management from the diatetitian during the intervention period.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Body composition assessment and smart-phone based counselling

As for the body composition assessment, body fat and muscle thickness, body fat percentage and distribution will be measured and a brief face-to-face counseling soon after the measurement will be implemented to the participants. Body assessment were measured by the InBody 270 (Biospace, Seoul, Korea) device, which provides a convenient way of accurate body fat measurement comparable with those obtained using air displacement plethysmography (ADP) (about 90% precision).

As for the Whatsapp-based counselling and communication session, qualitative dietary counselling will be offered every two weeks through the Whatsapp. One session contains 15 minutes, including the topics like making a balanced diet (55 % glucose, 30 % lipids and 15 % proteins), diversifying food intake, dietary advices and recommendations in healthy eating behaviors (e.g., eat slowly, eat at a regular time, avoid to skip a meal, drink at least 1.5 L of water each day).

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Able to understand Cantonese and read Chinese;
• Self-reported vegetable and fruit consumption is less than 5 servings per day (one serving means 125 mL (½ cup) fresh, frozen or canned fruits or vegetables; or 250 mL (1 cup) raw leafy veggies or salad; or 125 mL (½ cup) 100% juice; or 1 fruit;
• Reachable by smart-phone and familiar with the use of smart-phone;
• Would not move from the local area during the study period.

Exclusion Criteria

• Self-reported history of cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, neurological disorder, musculo-skeletal disorder, osteoarthritis, and eating disorder;
• Receiving medically prescribed diet or physical activity intervention;
• For women, currently pregnant;
• Have been taking any medications or long-term supplement such as herbs;
• Cannot provide written informed consent.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 45 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 65 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

XIE Yao Jie Grace

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Yao Jie Xie, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Locations

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Hung Hom, , Hong Kong

Countries

Hong Kong

Other Identifiers

P0013890

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id