Reducing Free Sugar Intakes: A Role for Sweet Taste II

Not Applicable

Active, not recruiting

• Conditions: Dietary Behaviour
• Interventions: Behavioral: Dietary Advice

• Registration Number: NCT05932329
• Lead Sponsor: Bournemouth University

Brief Summary

This randomised controlled trial aims to assess the effects of three different types of dietary advice for reducing free sugar intakes, on intakes of free sugar, in a sample of the UK population.

Detailed Description

The primary objective of this randomised controlled trial is to assess the effects of three different types of dietary advice, for reducing total energy intakes (TEI) of free sugars. A total of 150 participants (age 18-65 years) consuming diets \>5% total energy intake from dietary free sugars will be recruited from across the Dorset region. All participants will be asked to reduce their free sugar intake to \<5% TEI, and to aid with this, they will be encouraged to reduce their intakes of specific foods identified as high in free sugars. Participants will also be advised to replace these foods with other foods dependent on their taste. Participants will be randomised to replace high sugar foods with: 1) foods that are low in sugars, but high in sweet taste; 2) food that are low in sugars, but high in other tastes; and 3) foods that are low in taste. The primary outcome will be changes in free sugar consumption from baseline to endpoint at week 4. Secondary outcomes will include change in: BMI; dietary profiles; sweetness preference; sweetness liking; food choices; low calorie sweetened food intakes and adherence levels at week 4.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2023-06-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2023-06-27
• Study Start: 2023-07-01
• Study First Posted: 2023-07-06
• Primary Completion: 2023-12-22
• Status Verified: 2024-11
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-11-19
• Last Update Posted: 2024-11-20
• Study Completion: 2024-12-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 150

Inclusion Criteria

1. aged 18-65 years;
2. able to provide consent and complete all study materials;
3. consuming >5% of TEI from free sugars;
4. residing in the South of England, and able to attend Bournemouth University for testing.

Exclusion Criteria

1. individuals who are pregnant or breastfeeding;
2. underweight (BMI <18.5);
3. have pre-existing clinical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, eating disorders, Crohn's disease and other illness's leading to participants receiving external nutritional advice and dietary restrictions;
4. have pre-existing medical conditions affecting swallow ability, taste and smell perception;
5. currently following a specific dietary programme (e.g.: Slimming World);
6. current smokers or have smoked within 3 months of the study start date.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Sweet Taste	Dietary Advice	The intervention will be provided to participants in written form, in an opaque sealed envelope.
Taste	Dietary Advice	The intervention will be provided to participants in written form, in an opaque sealed envelope.
No Taste	Dietary Advice	The intervention will be provided to participants in written form, in an opaque sealed envelope.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Adherence	Baseline to week 4	Adherence to the recommendations provided, assessed using diet diaries and self-reported adherence
Free sugar intakes	Baseline to week 4	Percentage energy intake from free sugars, assessed using diet diaries

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
BMI	Baseline to week 4	BMI, in kg/m2, assessed using researcher measurements
Waist circumference	Baseline to week 4	Waist circumference, in cm, assessed using researcher measurements
Body fat percentage	Baseline to week 4	Body fat percentage, assessed using bioimpedence, as conducted by the researcher measurements
Sweet food attitudes	Baseline to week 4	Attitudes towards sugar, sweeteners, and sweet-tasting foods, assessed using a questionnaire, soon to be published. Higher scores denote stronger attitudes.
Eating-based attitudes	Baseline to week 4	Attitudes towards eating, assessed using the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (Karlsson J, et al. IJO 2000; 24: 1715-1725)
Dietary Intakes	Baseline to week 4	Nutrient composition and taste of dietary intakes, assessed using diet diaries
Sweet food intakes	Baseline to week 4	Selection of sweet foods/fluids at a given meal, assessed where participants can consume freely from a meal composed of sweet and non-sweet foods, and proportion of sweet foods consumed is measured in terms of weight consumed
Subjective Quality of Life	Baseline to week 4	Quality of Life, measured using the SF-36 questionnaire (Ware et al, 1996), where Quality of Life is assessed out of 100, where a higher score demonstrates better quality of life
Barriers and facilitators to success	Baseline to week 4	An assessment of barriers and facilitators to success, assessed by self-report questionnaire
Sweet food preferences	Baseline to week 4	Preferences for various sweet foods/fluids, assessed using a taste test, where participants sample several sweet and non-sweet foods and rate them for pleasantness on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale. Higher scores signify stronger preferences
Sweet food perceptions	Baseline to week 4	Perceptions of the strength of sweet taste for various sweet foods/fluids, assessed using a taste test, where participants sample several sweet and non-sweet foods and rate them for strength of taste on a 100mm Visual Analogue Scale. Higher scores signify stronger perceptions
Adverse events	Baseline to week 4	Adverse events, assessed by self-report
Body weight	Baseline to week 4	Body weight, in kg, assessed using researcher measurements

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Bournemouth University; 🇬🇧 Bournemouth, US And Canada Only, United Kingdom