Diet Habit, Diet, Healthy, Eating Disorders, Eating Habit, Physical Inactivity
Conditions
Brief summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to describe the adherence to the Mediterranean diet, the nutritional status, the level of physical activity, and possible eating disorders in international students attending the University of Pavia before and after a food education intervention. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does the intervention of food education change the nutritional status of the international students of the University of Pavia? Does the intervention of food education change the level of physical activity of international students of the University of Pavia? Does the intervention of food education change the possible risk of eating disorders related to the possible change of diet from the country of origin of international students? Researchers will compare the measurements done at the first meeting to the measurements made at the last meeting (6 months) to see if the food educational intervention helped the students. Participants will: * have the body composition analysed by anthropometric measurements (weight, height, electric bio impedance) * Receive personalized guidance and support from our team of experts for 6 months. Visit the clinic 3 times (beginning, 3 months, and by the end of 6 months) for check-ups and tests, and participate in online meetings the other 3 months (second, fourth, and fifth). Answer online questionnaires and perform a 3-day food diary (beginning, 3 months, and by the end of 6 months).
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFood education
During the consultations are planned at least 6 nutritional education sessions in which the general nutritional advice provided by the Mediterranean Diet will be exposed, and some paper materials can be delivered according to the needs of each individual. 3 in-person meetings and 3 online meetings are planned. Both online and in-person food education sessions will be conducted by experienced nutrition experts monthly. These sessions will cover a range of topics, including the principles of the Mediterranean diet, practical cooking skills, meal-planning strategies, and tips for incorporating Mediterranean-style dishes into daily life
Sponsors
University of Pavia
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* ≥ 18 years old * Able to understand English or Italian * Nationality diverse than Italian * Absence of major morbidities that interfere with food choices, such as diabetes, hypertension, renal dysfunction, etc.
Exclusion criteria
* ≤18 years old; * Italian nationality; * Presence of major morbidities that interfere with food choices, such as diabetes, hypertension, renal dysfunction, etc.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mediterranean Diet Adhrence | 6 months | Mediterranean Diet Score9 (MEDI-LITE): a tool for measuring adherence to the Mediterranean diet. It assigns points based on the frequency of consumption of nine food categories: (1) fruit; (2) vegetables; (3) cereal grains; (4) legumes; (5) fish and fish products; (6) meat and meat products; (7) dairy products; (8) alcohol intake and (9) olive oil. The final score was obtained by summing these values, and it varies from 0 (low adherence) to 18 (high adherence). |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Short Form Health Survey | 6 months | The SF-36, short for the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, is a widely used and well-established tool in the field of health-related quality of life assessment. Higher scores mean a better outcome. |
| Weight | 6 months | Standardised measurements: weight in kilograms |
| Dietary evaluation | 6 months | Food diaries: will be requested for all participants a 3-day food diary by baseline, 3 and 6 months. These diaries will be calculated by macro and micronutrient intake. Food frequency questionnaire 110 items will be applied at T0, T3 and T6. The presence of typical Mediterranean food will be considered as a marker of acculturation. |
| Fat mass | 6 months | The evaluation of body composition will be carried out on the basis of skinfold measurements, and using the Bioelectrical Impedance Analysi. The median from the 2 measurements (skinfold and BIA) for fat mass will be used (in percentage). |
| Skin folds | 6 months | Skin folds (in millimeters) will be recorded by an expert dietician according to standardized procedures (Lohman, 1988). |
| Body Composition BIA | 6 months | The Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis, which is a non-invasive and commonly used method for assessing body composition (BIA 101 BIVA PROTM- AKERN) in terms of percentage of fat mass (%). |
| Physical activity | 6 months | Standardized tool used to assess an individual's physical activity levels and patterns. Higher scores mean a better outcome. |
| Height | 6 months | Standardised measurements: Height in centimeters (cm) |
Countries
Italy
Contacts
Primary ContactCinzia Ferraris, PhD
Outcome results
None listed