FOODLIT-Trial: Protocol of a Randomised Controlled Digital Intervention to Promote Food Literacy and Food Sustainability Behaviours in Adults Using the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) and the Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy (BCTT) During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Trial Snapshot
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Status
- Completed
- Sponsor
- Enrollment
- 215
- Locations
- 1
- Primary Endpoint
- Change in Food Literacy (FOODLIT-Tool)
Study Overview
Brief Summary
Given that healthy food-related habits are protective of both malnutrition and multiple noncommunicable diseases (including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer), and acknowledging that poor diets constitute a greater risk to mortality, it is essential to improve individuals' food-related knowledge, skills, and behaviours. Furthermore, the current public health context caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has reinforced the need for an adequate diet as a protective factor for one's global health.
In the ambit of the FOODLIT-PRO: Food Literacy Project (ref. SFRH/BD/128528/2017), a digital intervention to promote food literacy - that is, food-related knowledge, competencies, and behaviours - encompassing behavioural change strategies and psychological determinants (such as intention, planning, and self-efficacy) was developed.
With the online deliver of personalised evidence-based materials concerning food literacy, adult participants receive weekly challenges that promote their food-related knowledge (e.g., recognising food's origin and seasonality), competencies (e.g., as cooking and planning skills), and behaviours (e.g., tracking food intake, interpret nutritional labels). Matched with tailored behavioural change strategies (experimental group), both food literacy content and psychological aspects that relate to health behaviour are assessed weekly in order to evaluate the intervention's efficacy. Follow-ups at 3-, 6- and 9-months post intervention will be assessed.
Study Design
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel
- Primary Purpose
- Other
- Masking
- Single (Participant)
Eligibility Criteria
- Ages
- 18 Years to — (Adult, Older Adult)
- Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria
- •Having a minimum of digital literacy to access, visualise and download online material related to the intervention;
- •Having the availability to participate in the intervention (11 weeks) and posterior follow-up moments.
Exclusion Criteria
- Not provided
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Change in Food Literacy (FOODLIT-Tool)
Time Frame: Measure applied at baseline, one week post-intervention, and at 3-, 6- and 9-months follow-ups in order to evaluate.
Published at Appetite (Rosas Pimenta, Leal, \& Schwarzer, 2022), this is a 24-item tool that assesses the perception of food literacy-related knowledge, competencies, and behaviours, according to the Food Literacy Wheel (Rosas et al., 2021). The food literacy aspects are measured through five domains: (i) origin, (ii) production and quality, (iii) select and plan, (iv) environmentally safe, and (v) cooking skills.
Secondary Outcomes
- Assessment of Health Action Process Approach Model (HAPA) Variables(Measure at baseline, one week post-intervention, and at 3-, 6- and 9-months follow-ups)
Investigators
Raquel Rosas
Principal Investigator
ISPA - Instituto Universitario de Ciencias Psicologicas, Sociais e da Vida