Skip to content

Time Restricted Eating (TRE) Among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Women at Risk for Endometrial Cancer

Feasibility and Acceptability of Time Restricted Eating (TRE) Among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Women at Risk for Endometrial Cancer

Status
Completed
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04763902
Acronym
TIMESPAN
Enrollment
39
Registered
2021-02-21
Start date
2021-02-18
Completion date
2022-09-30
Last updated
2026-07-29

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Endometrial Neoplasms

Keywords

diet, time restricted eating (TRE), Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, endometrial cancer risk, randomized crossover trial

Brief summary

The long-term goal of this study is to determine the efficacy of time restricted eating (TRE) for improving metabolic health and preventing endometrial cancer. The primary objective of the protocol is to conduct a 14-week two-arm randomized crossover trial of a dietary intervention to evaluate the feasibility, fidelity and preliminary acceptability of a TRE intervention among Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women at risk for developing endometrial cancer, and to provide proof of principle that TRE can improve metabolic health in this population.

Detailed description

Enrollment: The study includes two phases. Phase 1 includes focus groups among 30 Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander women at risk of endometrial cancer. Focus groups will determine sociocultural influences on (i) dietary behavior including meal timing; (ii) dietary preferences; (iii) proposed meal plans and intervention design; (iv) perceptions of weight loss and body image. In the second study phase, the study team will recruit 10 Pacific Islander women to participate in a 14-week randomized dietary crossover study. Each woman will participate in both intervention arms and act as her own control. Focus Group: To accomplish all aspects of Aim 1 of this study, the study team will recruit 30 Pacific Islander women at risk for endometrial cancer to conduct virtual focus groups. These focus groups will take place via private videoconference, like Zoom, and a language translator will be provided, as necessary. The focus groups will be attended by a Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Community Expert. Questions will be designed to understand sociocultural influences on dietary behavior (questions on social eating, meal timing, and dietary preferences, soliciting feedback on study intervention delivery design, and perceptions of weight loss and body image). An icebreaker will be conducted prior to formal questioning. Sessions will be audio-recorded on the videoconference and an additional device, transcribed verbatim, and checked for accuracy. Two additional team members will be present as note takers. Our Community Expert will be present to help facilitate the session. Questions will be provided at the beginning of the session to ensure cultural sensitivity. Dietary Intervention: The dietary intervention includes 5 study visits, and features a baseline visit, 2-week run-in period, 4-week control diet schedule, 4-week washout period, and a 4-week, 8 to 10-hour Time Restricted Eating (TRE) protocol (8 to 10-hour feeding and 14 to 16-hour fasting periods). A follow-up questionnaire will be mailed 6-months post- intervention. For the control schedule, women will receive frozen lunch and dinner meals and a standardized breakfast and snacks menu. All meals and the breakfast/snack menu will be designed to be culturally competent with feedback from the focus groups, and meal plans will be individualized to meet weight maintenance energy requirements. For the TRE schedule, women will receive prepared frozen lunch and dinner meals as per the control schedule, but will be asked to consume daily meals, snacks, and calorie-containing beverages within an 8 to 10-hour period that fits their schedule. They will be asked to maintain their regular sleep and physical activity schedule. The fasting period will ramp up during the first week (Days 1-3, 12-14 h per day, Days 4-6, 14-16 h per day, Days 7+, 16 h per day). Women will be asked to schedule the eating period at the same time each day. All meals (control and TRE) will be provided by the Metabolic Kitchen located at the University of Utah. Visit 1: During the baseline visit, a coordinator will obtain consent from the participant, and they will be asked to compete questionnaires asking about clinical and demographic factors, chronotype, and physical activity, and various anthropometric measurements will be taken. Following the baseline visit, participants will undergo a 2-week run-in period. During this time, the goal is to record women's usual times of eating episodes and appetite while following their habitual diet. Visit 2: Women will provide fasting blood and stool samples, and anthropometric measurements will be taken. Following visit 2, participants will undergo the control or TRE schedule for 4 weeks. Visit 3: After 4 weeks, participants will undergo visit 3 and will be asked to provide fasting blood and stool samples, and anthropometric measures will be taken. Following visit 3, participants will undergo a 4-week washout period, where women are able to return to their usual lifestyle. Visit 4: Visit 4 will occur after the 4-week washout period, and will include a telephone consultation to discuss the next study phase and schedule meal provision. For the following 4-weeks, participants will then undergo the opposite feeding schedule (either control or TRE). Visit 5: During the final visit, women will provide fasting blood and stool samples, and anthropometric measures will be taken. During the run-in period, the TRE phase and the control phase, participants will record timing of eating episodes using the MyCircadian Clock phone app, complete 3 x 24-hour diet recalls, a single physical activity recall, and 7-days of sleep and physical activity will be objectively measured using an Actiwatch device. Hunger and satiety will be evaluated at random through the MyCircadian Clock phone app. A study exit interview will be conducted via Zoom conference call to debrief on the intervention and obtain detailed information on acceptability of the protocol. Approximately 6-months after the end of the intervention period, women will complete a mailed follow-up questionnaire.

Interventions

Women will receive prepared frozen lunch and dinner meals as per the control schedule, but will be asked to consume daily meals, snacks, and calorie-containing beverages within an 8 to 10-hour period that fits their schedule. They will be asked to maintain their regular sleep and physical activity schedule. Fasting period will ramp up during the first week (e.g., Days 1-3, 12-14 h per day, Days 4-6, 14-16 h per day, Days 7+, 16 h per day). Women will be asked to schedule the feeding period at the same time each day. They will be allowed to consume water and 1-2 servings of very low-calorie drinks and foods (e.g., herbal tea, diet drinks, mints, gum containing \< 4 kcal/serving) to increase compliance. All meals (control and TRE) will be provided by the Metabolic Kitchen developed in collaboration with the department of Nutrition and Integrative Physiology.

Women will receive frozen lunch/dinner meals and a standardized breakfast and snacks menu. All meals and the breakfast/snack menu will be designed to be culturally competent. The meal plans will be individualized to meet weight maintenance energy requirements.

Sponsors

University of Utah
Lead SponsorOTHER
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
CollaboratorNIH

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

All Aims: * Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander females aged 18 years or older * Overweight or obese (BMI\>25kg/m2) OR have a history of non-insulin dependent diabetes OR have a history of complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia * Have a working cell phone that can download an App * Able to use cell phone during day (e.g. at work) * Not a night shift worker Applicable Only to Aims 2 \& 3: * Able to attend study visits at the Huntsman Cancer Institute Center for HOPE

Exclusion criteria

All Aims: * Unable to provide informed consent Applicable Only to Aims 2 \& 3: * Necessity of a special diet that precludes adjustment of meal timing and/or macronutrient content * Have a history of insulin dependent diabetes * Have a history of hysterectomy

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportion of Participants Referred That Were Consented and Enrolledup to 1 day after screeningThe feasibility of the Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) intervention will be measured by calculating the proportion (%) of women who were consented and enrolled in the study out of all the participants who screened for the trial.
AttritionFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 5, up to 19 weeksTo assess the feasibility of the TRE intervention. This outcome measure will report the number of participants who withdrew throughout the course of the interventional component of the study.
Protocol Items CompletedFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 5, up to 19 weeksThis outcome measure will report the count of participants who completed each study assessment per protocol. Participants who were randomized and withdrew from the study are included as missed assessments. After the TRE Schedule (Visit 3 or 5), waist circumference, weight, blood pressure, blood, and stool were collected. After the Control Schedule (Visit 3 or 5), waist circumference, weight, blood pressure, blood, and stool were collected. This outcome measure will report the count of participants who completed each assessment
Percentage of TRE-Adherent DaysFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksThis outcome measure will report the mean percentage of TRE-adherent days. TRE adherence is achieved when participants fast for 14-18 hours per day during the TRE phase, as measured by a mealtime log using the MyCircadianClock phone app.
Meals Delivered On ScheduleFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 5, up to 19 weeksCount of participants whose pre-made control diet meals were delivered on schedule. Participants were provided with pre-made, frozen lunch and dinner meals 7 days a week during both 4-week diet phases.
Study Visit CompletionFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 5, up to 19 weeksTo assess feasibility of the study, the percentage of in-person study visits completed out of 5 study visits for each participant was calculated. This outcome measure will report the mean percentage of completed study visits. This outcome measure was assessed throughout the course of the study during both the TRE and Control Schedules; it is not possible to regroup participants to report Arms/Groups "per intervention".

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Blood Pressure Measured With Electronic Blood Pressure MonitorFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksBlood pressure was measured using an electronic blood pressure monitor after the TRE phase and after the control diet phase.
Waist CircumferenceFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksWaist circumference was measured by trained study staff using a tape measure and standardized protocols. Waist circumference was measured after the TRE Schedule and after the Control Schedule.
Body Mass Index (BMI) Assessed Via Stadiometer and Calibrated ScalesFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksParticipants' height and weight was measured by trained study staff using a stadiometer and calibrated weighing scales. Measures were done in triplicate (duplicate if measures did not agree). Height and weight were used to calculate body mass index in kilograms divided by height in meters-squared. BMI was measured after the TRE Schedule and after the Control Schedule.
Fasting Blood Glucose LevelFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksFasting glucose was measured at Associated Regional and University Pathologists (ARUP) Laboratories. Fasting blood samples were taken from participants by a trained phlebotomist using standard protocols after the TRE Schedule and after the Control Schedule.
Fasting Blood C-peptide LevelFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksC-peptide was measured at ARUP Laboratories. Fasting blood samples were taken by a trained phlebotomist using standardized protocols after the TRE Schedule and after the Control Schedule.
Fasting Blood Triglyceride LevelFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksBlood triglyceride level was measured at ARUP Laboratories. Fasting blood samples were taken by a trained phlebotomist using standardized protocols after the TRE Schedule and after the Control Schedule.
Fasting Blood High-density Lipoprotein(HDL)-Cholesterol LevelFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksBlood HDL-cholesterol level was measured at ARUP Laboratories. Fasting blood samples were taken by a trained phlebotomist using standardized protocols after the TRE Schedule and after the Control Schedule.
Fasting Blood High Sensitivity C-reactive ProteinFrom the baseline of the randomized portion of the study to Visit 3 and Visit 5, up to 19 weeksBlood C-peptide level was measured at ARUP Laboratories. Fasting blood samples were taken by a trained phlebotomist using standardized protocols after the TRE Schedule and after the Control Schedule.

Countries

United States

Contacts

PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMary Playdon, PhD, MPH

University of Utah

Participant flow

Pre-assignment details

25 participants who participated in the focus groups did not continue to the randomized portion of the study.

Baseline characteristics

Characteristic
Age, Categorical
<=18 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
>=65 years
0 Participants
Age, Categorical
Between 18 and 65 years
6 Participants
Age, Continuous32.63 years
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.84
Body Mass Index39.97 Kg/m^2
STANDARD_DEVIATION 8.53
Race (NIH/OMB)
American Indian or Alaska Native
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Asian
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Black or African American
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
More than one race
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander
36 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
Unknown or Not Reported
0 Participants
Race (NIH/OMB)
White
0 Participants
Region of Enrollment
United States
6 participants
Sex: Female, Male
Female
6 Participants
Sex: Female, Male
Male
0 Participants
Waist (cm)119.30 cm
STANDARD_DEVIATION 19.4

Adverse events

Event typeEG000
affected / at risk
EG001
affected / at risk
deaths
Total, all-cause mortality
0 / 140 / 14
other
Total, other adverse events
0 / 140 / 14
serious
Total, serious adverse events
0 / 140 / 14

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 30, 2026