Design and Implementation of a Mobile App for Promoting Healthy and Sustainable Eating Among Students at the University of Parma (MAPHealthS)
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 已完成
- 入组人数
- 60
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Dietary Fiber Intake
研究概览
简要总结
The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile app (MAPHealthS) in promoting healthy and sustainable eating habits among university students at the University of Parma. The study aims to answer the following questions:
Does the use of the educational mobile app increase daily fiber intake among students?
Does the app improve adherence to sustainable and healthy diets (e.g., Mediterranean and Planetary diets)?
What are the effects of the app on physical activity levels, anthropometric measures, and the environmental impact of participants' diets?
Researchers will compare the intervention group (using the app) to a control group (no intervention) over a 12-week period, including a 6-week active phase and a 6-week follow-up phase.
Participants will:
Download and use the app (intervention group) or follow no intervention (control group) for 12 weeks.
Complete dietary assessments (24-hour recalls, food frequency questionnaires), provide urine and fecal samples, and undergo anthropometric measurements at multiple time points.
Wear actigraphs (a subgroup) to measure energy expenditure.
Answer questionnaires on dietary habits, physical activity, and app usability.
The study expects to see a significant increase in fiber intake (7g/day) and improved sustainability awareness among app users.
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Prevention
- 盲法
- None
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 18 Years 至 30 Years（Adult）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •University students (undergraduate/graduate) at the University of Parma Age 18-29 years Italian nationality and residence in Italy Baseline fiber intake <17.7g/day (below Italian average) Ownership of an iOS/Android smartphone with internet access No current use of nutrition/health tracking apps
- •No self-reported:
- •Chronic diseases (diabetes, metabolic disorders)
- •Eating disorders
- •Use of medications for hypertension/dyslipidemia
- •No antibiotic/probiotic use in past 4 weeks
- •Not following prescribed diets or meal plans
- •Not pregnant/lactating Signed informed consent
排除标准
- •Not University students (undergraduate/graduate) at the University of Parma Not Aged 18-29 years Not Italian nationality and residence in Italy Baseline fiber intake >17.7g/day (over Italian average) Not ownership of an iOS/Android smartphone with internet access Current use of nutrition/health tracking apps
- •Self-reported:
- •Chronic diseases (diabetes, metabolic disorders)
- •Eating disorders
- •Use of medications for hypertension/dyslipidemia
- •Antibiotic/probiotic use in past 4 weeks
- •Following prescribed diets or meal plans
- •Pregnant/lactating
- •Not signed informed consent
研究组 & 干预措施
Intervention
Intervention: Participants use the UNIPLATE mobile app, a tailored educational tool designed to promote healthy and sustainable eating.
Features: Daily nutrition/sustainability tips, meal planning, recipe suggestions (prioritizing plant-based foods), gamified challenges, and progress tracking.
Delivery: 6-week active phase with daily app notifications, followed by 6-week follow-up (no notifications).
Tailoring: Content adapts to baseline food-related psychobehavioral profiles (assessed via questionnaire).
Support: Developed with input from nutritionists, psychologists, and computer scientists (University of Parma).
干预措施: Digital Nutrition Education Mobile App for Healthy and Sustainable Eating (Behavioral)
Control
Intervention: No app or active intervention; participants maintain habitual dietary behaviors.
Monitoring: Completes identical assessments (dietary recalls, biomarkers, anthropometrics) as the intervention group.
结局指标
主要结局
Dietary Fiber Intake
时间窗: Baseline (T0), after three-weeks (T1), after six-weeks (T2), after twelve-weeks (T3)
The primary outcome measures the change in participants' daily dietary fiber intake (grams/day) after using the nutrition education mobile app for 6 weeks, compared to baseline and control group levels, using 24-hour dietary recalls and food frequency questionnaires.
次要结局
- Planetary Diet Adherence(Baseline (T0), after twelve-weeks (T3))
- Mediterranean Diet Adherence(Baseline (T0), after twelve-weeks (T3))
- Physical Activity Levels(Baseline (T0), after three-weeks (T1), after six-weeks (T2), after twelve-weeks (T3))
- Diet-Related Environmental Footprint(Baseline (T0), after three-weeks (T1), after six-weeks (T2), after twelve-weeks (T3))
- Diet-Related Water Footprint(Baseline (T0), after three-weeks (T1), after six-weeks (T2), after twelve-weeks (T3))
- App Usability/Satisfaction(Twelve-weeks after enrollment (T3))
- Biomarker Validation(Baseline (T0), after three-weeks (T1), after six-weeks (T2))
研究者
Francesca Scazzina Ph.D.
Associate Professor
University of Parma