Video Chat During Meals to Improve Nutritional Intake in Older Adults

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Malnutrition; Loneliness
• Interventions: Behavioral: VideoDine

• Registration Number: NCT04862312
• Lead Sponsor: Cornell University

Brief Summary

The VideoDining study is a Stage IB behavioral intervention development project. The objectives are to determine the feasibility and acceptability of using video chat during mealtimes (VideoDining) in community-dwelling older adults eating alone at home and to evaluate changes in nutritional intake and loneliness in response to VideoDining.

Detailed Description

The U.S. population is growing older and more adults are aging at home alone, by choice, or due to a lack of affordable senior housing. Older adults who live alone have a less healthy eating pattern, eat a smaller variety of foods and consume fewer fruits and vegetables than those living with others. Additionally, eating alone, social isolation and loneliness often accompany living alone and are independent risk factors for lower caloric intake, less variety in the diet and malnutrition. Community-based interventions are needed to improve the nutritional status of older adults living alone.

VideoDining uses video chat during mealtimes to virtually eat with another person and could provide social interactions and modeling to improve dietary intake in older adults eating alone. Extensive observational and experimental research shows that people eat more when dining with others than dining alone, called the social facilitation of eating. Additionally, a dining partner's modeling of eating can provide a guide for what and how much to eat. The investigators have conducted a Stage IA proof-of-concept study of VideoDining in older adults and will expand the development of this behavioral intervention with this study.

The goals are to determine the feasibility and acceptability of VideoDining and to evaluate changes in nutritional intake and loneliness in response to multiple VideoDining sessions in community-dwelling older adults eating alone at home. In this single-arm intervention study, thirty older adult Meals on Wheels participants will be scheduled to VideoDine with a dining partner six times. Using a mixed-methods approach, the investigators will collect data on older adults' ability to VideoDine, acceptance of VideoDining, dietary intake, and loneliness. Data will be collected before starting VideoDining, after each VideoDining session, and at the end of the study period. Development, adaptation and refinement of the VideoDining intervention are additional key outcomes of this study.

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2021-03-29
• Study Start: 2021-03-31
• Study First Submitted QC: 2021-04-23
• Study First Posted: 2021-04-27
• Primary Completion: 2022-05-17
• Study Completion: 2022-05-17
• Status Verified: 2022-09
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-09-23
• Last Update Posted: 2022-09-26

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 33

Inclusion Criteria

1. Receive Meals-on-Wheels meals from Foodnet in Tompkins County, NY.
2. Aged 60-95 years old.
3. Consume Meals-on-Wheels meal alone.

Exclusion Criteria

1. Non-English speaking.
2. Unable to read and write in English.
3. Inadequate vision and hearing to utilize video chat technology.
4. Unable cognitively to independently consent and participate in the study.
5. Already own and use an Amazon Echo Show.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
VideoDine	VideoDine	Use of video chat to eat a meal with a dining partner.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Change in caloric intake with VideoDining	8 weeks	A research interviewer will use video chat to collect three 24-hour dietary recalls with each participant prior to starting the VideoDining sessions (pre-VideoDining). During the intervention phase, a research interviewer will use video chat to collect a 24-hour dietary recall after each VideoDining session to capture dietary intake during the VideoDining meal and subsequent day (post-VideoDining). Change in dietary intake will be calculated by comparing average caloric intake on the three pre-VideoDining recalls to the average caloric intake on the final three post-VideoDining recalls.
Change in loneliness with VideoDining	8 weeks	The Revised 20-item UCLA Loneliness Scale and the 6-item De Jong Giervald Loneliness Scale will be collected prior to VideoDining and at the end of the study after VideoDining. The Revised 20-item UCLA Loneliness scale measures an individual's subjective feelings of loneliness and social isolation. Each question is scored 1-4, for a total of 20 to 80 points, with 80 indicating more loneliness. The 6-item De Jong Giervald Loneliness Scale uses a 3-item loneliness scale and a 3-item emotional scale. Each item is scored 0, 1 or 2, for a possible total score of 0-6, 0 being least lonely and 6 being most lonely. Total sum scores for each scale will be calculated pre and post VideoDining and compared.
Change in dietary intake pattern with VideoDining	8 weeks	A research interviewer will use video chat to collect three 24-hour dietary recalls with each participant prior to starting the VideoDining sessions (pre-VideoDining). During the intervention phase, a research interviewer will use video chat to collect a 24-hour dietary recall after each VideoDining session to capture dietary intake during the VideoDining meal and subsequent day (post-VideoDining). Change in diet quality will be determined by comparing average food group equivalents and the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) on the three pre-VideoDining recalls to the average for the final three post-VideoDining recalls.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Feasibility: Completion rate	8 weeks	Percentage of participants who complete 6 or more VideoDining sessions in 8 weeks.
Feasibility: Technical assistance rate	8 weeks	Number of times participants require assistance to use video chat technology after initial training and set-up.
Social Support	8 weeks	Responses to the four questions on the Social Interaction Subscale of the Duke Social Support Index and one question about social interaction with friends and family using videochat will be collected prior to VideoDining and at the end of the study after VideoDining. The results will be compared pre and post VideoDining.
Acceptability: Acceptability of individual VideoDining sessions	8 weeks	Quantitative data from participant and dining-partner survey responses to questions on enjoyment, comfort, nervousness, technical issues, ease, and experience of VideoDining collected after each VideoDining session.
Feasibility: Enrollment rate	12 months	Number of people enrolled in the study as a percentage of people approached or who showed interest in the study during the recruitment time period.
Feasibility: Attrition	12 months	Percentage of enrolled participants who do not complete the study.
Acceptability: Acceptability of VideoDining	8 weeks	Qualitative data from end-of-study participant interviews and dining-partner focus groups. Participant responses to open ended questions about overall experience of VideoDining, use of videochat technology, and likes and dislikes of VideoDining will be coded and analyzed.
VideoDine Self-Efficacy	8 weeks	Participant responses to a single item survey question after each VideoDining session. Participant responses to survey questions about confidence level to perform the tasks of VideoDining, collected at the end of the study.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Cornell University; 🇺🇸 Ithaca, New York, United States