Effectiveness of an App for Mobile Phones (e-12HR) to Increase Adherence to Mediterranean Diet in University Students

NCT ID: NCT05532137

Last Updated: 2024-12-24

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

322 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-04-04

Study Completion Date

2025-12-16

Brief Summary

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This is a controlled, randomized and multicentric clinical trial aimed at university students and performed at the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Seville (Spain). Its objective is to evaluate the effect of an intervention based on the use of an information and communication technology (ICT) tool, specifically an application for mobile telephones (called e-12HR), in the improvement of adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

Detailed Description

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Objective:

To evaluate the effect of an intervention based on the use of an information and communication technology (ICT) tool, specifically an application for mobile telephones (called e-12HR), in the increased adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a population of university students.

Design and setting:

A controlled, randomized and multicentric clinical trial with two parallel groups (control group and intervention group).

Study population:

322 university students (161 participants in each group) are necessary; of both genders, over the age of 18 years, who meet selection criteria.

Study setting:

Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Seville (Spain).

Statistical Analysis Discrete variables are presented as a number followed by percentages. Continuous variables are presented using means and standard deviations.

The data are tested for normality using the nonparametric Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.

Students t-test or the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test is used for the analysis of quantitative variables, and the chi-square test is used for the comparison of proportions.

The results are considered significant if p-value \< 0.05. Statistical analyses are performed using the SPSS statistical software package ver-sion 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois, USA).

Measurements and intervention:

Adherence to the Mediterranean diet is evaluated at seven (baseline), fourteen, twenty-one and twenty-eight days follow-up: the adherence to the Mediterranean diet index selected for the study is the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) index.

The advice on healthy diet recommendations (Mediterranean diet) is common to both groups.

There are two versions of e-12HR in the study: 'feedback' e-12HR and 'non-feedback' e-12HR (both versions of the application allow the collection of data on dietary intake in order to calculate the MDSS index).

Control group: use of 'non-feedback' e-12HR (in order to calculate the MDSS index).

Intervention group: use of 'feedback' e-12HR (in order to calculate the MDSS index; additionally, this version is designed to promote the Mediterranean diet).

Conditions

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Mediterranean Diet Diet Habits Healthy Eating Index

Keywords

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Mediterranean Diet Diet Habits Healthy Eating Index

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Participants (university students) are included by probability single-stage cluster sampling at the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy at the University of Seville (Spain), selecting 4 random classrooms in each school.

Of the 4 selected classrooms in each faculty (Medicine and Pharmacy), 2 are randomly assigned to the control group and 2 to the intervention group.
Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors
Due to the nature of the intervention, participants cannot be blinded. However, the person responsible for the statistical analysis remains blinded throughout the study. In addition, although the different versions of the application are available in the Apple Store or Play Store at all times, personal alphanumeric codes are assigned to the participants; so that each participant only has access to him/her version of the application depending on whether they belong to the intervention group ('feedback' e-12HR) or to the control group ('non-feedback' e-12HR).

Study Groups

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Control group

This arm uses the 'non-feedback' e-12HR. This version of the application allows to calculate the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) index.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Intervention group

This arm uses the 'feedback' e-12HR. This version of the application allows to calculate the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) index; additionally, this version is designed to promote the Mediterranean diet.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

e-12HR app

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The 'feedback' e-12HR version: This version of the application allows to calculate the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) index; additionally, this version is designed to promote the Mediterranean diet with two specific automatic functions:

1. Evaluation of the user's MDSS index.
2. Identification of the food groups for which the user has not fulfilled the Mediterranean diet recommendations (in addition, this version also provided the user the consumption recommendations established for these food groups).

Interventions

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e-12HR app

The 'feedback' e-12HR version: This version of the application allows to calculate the Mediterranean Diet Serving Score (MDSS) index; additionally, this version is designed to promote the Mediterranean diet with two specific automatic functions:

1. Evaluation of the user's MDSS index.
2. Identification of the food groups for which the user has not fulfilled the Mediterranean diet recommendations (in addition, this version also provided the user the consumption recommendations established for these food groups).

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Both genders.
* Over the age of 18.
* Be a student at the Faculties of Medicine or Pharmacy (University of Seville).
* Possess a mobile telephone with Internet access and iOS or Android operating system.

Exclusion Criteria

\- Chronic pathologies, food intolerances or pregnancy (situations that could require specialized dietary recommendations).
Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Luis María Béjar Prado

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Luis María Béjar Prado

Lecturer (Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health)

Responsibility Role SPONSOR_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

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Luis M Bejar, Doctor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Lecturer (Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health)

Locations

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Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health

Seville, , Spain

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Spain

Central Contacts

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Luis M Bejar, Doctor

Role: CONTACT

Phone: 34 600024248

Email: [email protected]

Facility Contacts

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Angel Vilches, Doctor

Role: primary

References

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Bejar LM, Sharp BN, Garcia-Perea MD. The e-EPIDEMIOLOGY Mobile Phone App for Dietary Intake Assessment: Comparison with a Food Frequency Questionnaire. JMIR Res Protoc. 2016 Nov 2;5(4):e208. doi: 10.2196/resprot.5782.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 27806922 (View on PubMed)

Bejar LM, Vazquez-Limon E. Is there any alternative to traditional food frequency questionnaire for evaluating habitual dietary intake? Nutr Hosp. 2017 Jul 28;34(4):990-888. doi: 10.20960/nh.650.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29095013 (View on PubMed)

Bejar LM. First evaluation steps of a new method for dietary intake estimation regarding a list of key food groups in adults and in different sociodemographic and health-related behaviour strata. Public Health Nutr. 2017 Oct;20(15):2660-2669. doi: 10.1017/S1368980017001641. Epub 2017 Aug 9.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 28789723 (View on PubMed)

Bejar LM, Reyes OA, Garcia-Perea MD. Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall (e-12HR): Comparison of a Mobile Phone App for Dietary Intake Assessment With a Food Frequency Questionnaire and Four Dietary Records. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2018 Jun 15;6(6):e10409. doi: 10.2196/10409.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 29907555 (View on PubMed)

Bejar LM, Garcia-Perea MD, Reyes OA, Vazquez-Limon E. Relative Validity of a Method Based on a Smartphone App (Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall) to Estimate Habitual Dietary Intake in Adults. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2019 Apr 11;7(4):e11531. doi: 10.2196/11531.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 30973343 (View on PubMed)

Bejar LM. Weekend-Weekday Differences in Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet among Spanish University Students. Nutrients. 2022 Jul 8;14(14):2811. doi: 10.3390/nu14142811.

Reference Type BACKGROUND
PMID: 35889767 (View on PubMed)

Bejar LM, Mesa-Rodriguez P, Garcia-Perea MD. Short-Term Effect of a Health Promotion Intervention Based on the Electronic 12-Hour Dietary Recall (e-12HR) Smartphone App on Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Among Spanish Primary Care Professionals: Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2024 Jan 8;12:e49302. doi: 10.2196/49302.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 38190226 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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2813-N-21

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id