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Impact of Comprehensive Dietary Counseling on Dietary Quality, Mental Health, and Quality of Life in Older Adults

Not Applicable
Conditions
Age Problem
Aging
Age-related Cognitive Decline
Age-Related Atrophy
Interventions
Behavioral: Dietary Counselling
Registration Number
NCT03702335
Lead Sponsor
National University of Singapore
Brief Summary

As a person ages, an incidence of mental distress such as depression and anxiety increases while the quality of life decreases. Singapore's population is aging rapidly and older adults may suffer from mental distress and deteriorated quality of life. Recent evidence suggests that good nutrition is essential for mental health and quality of life in older adults.

Previous research reported that provision of nutrition education and cooking workshops to people with mental illness for 3 months achieved healthy dietary change and improved mental health. This proposed study aims to further assess the effect of comprehensive dietary counselling on dietary quality, cardio-metabolic, mental health, sleep quality, and quality of life through a 24-wk parallel intervention study in Singapore older adults.

The investigators hypothesised that older adults who receive comprehensive dietary counselling will improve dietary quality, cardio-metabolic health, mental health, sleep quality, and quality of life when compared to older adults who do not receive comprehensive dietary counselling.

Detailed Description

Fifty female Chinese older adults (aged 60+y) will be recruited with the expectation that ≥ 40 subjects will complete the study. This is a 24-wk parallel, single-bind, prospective study design with subjects randomly assigned to either receiving comprehensive dietary counselling (intervention group) or not receiving comprehensive dietary counselling (control group). Subjects in the intervention group will only receive comprehensive dietary counselling for first 12-wk and then they will be followed for another 12-wk without comprehensive dietary counselling. Subjects in the control group will be followed for 24-wk without any intervention. Dietary quality, mental health, sleep quality, daily physical activity and quality of life will be assessed and blood lipid-lipoproteins, glucose and insulin concentrations will be measured from the collected blood samples.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
UNKNOWN
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
50
Inclusion Criteria
  1. Able to give an informed consent
  2. Age ≥60 years
  3. No weight change >3kg in the past 3 months
  4. Not exercising vigorously over the past 3 months
  5. Does not have any intestinal disorders, including lactose intolerance
  6. No acute illness
  7. Non-smoker
  8. Non-vegetarian
  9. Not drinking more than 2 alcoholic drinks/day
  10. Not taking any lipid-lowering and blood pressure controlling medications less than 3 years
Exclusion Criteria
  1. Unable to give an informed consent
  2. Age < 60 years
  3. Weight change >3kg in the past 3 months
  4. Exercises vigorously over the past 3 months
  5. Have intestinal disorders, including lactose intolerence
  6. Having acute illness
  7. Smoking
  8. Vegetarian
  9. Drinking more than 2 alcoholic drinks/day
  10. Taking lipid-lowering and blood pressure controlling medications less than 3 years

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Dietary CounsellingDietary CounsellingEach subject will receive a comprehensive dietary counselling for the first 12-weeks of the study, which will be followed by another 12-weeks without dietary counselling.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in dietEvery 2 week for the first 12 weeks and every 4 weeks for the last 12 weeks (Week 0, week 2, week 4, week 6, week 8, week 10, week 12, week 16, week 20, week 24)

Dietary assessment, 3-day food record (participant)

Change in quality of lifeEvery 4 weeks (Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16, week 20 and week 24)

Quality of Life Questionnaire

* Subjective scale rating (1; very dissatisfied, 2; dissatisfied, 3; neither satisfied not dissatisfied, 4; satisfied, 5; very satisfied) assessing quality of life, health and other areas of life.

Change in mental health statusEvery 4 weeks (Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16, week 20 and week 24)

Mental Health Questionnaire - Consisting of basic health screen recording anthropometric measurements, visual functioning questionnaire scale (1; Good, 2; Acceptable, 3; Poor), Lifestyle (0; Never, 1; 1-3 times/month, 2; 1-3 times/week, 3; 4-6 times/week, 4; daily), depression scale (Yes or no questionnaire)

Change in sleep qualityEvery 4 weeks (Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16, week 20 and week 24)

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Assessment (PSQI) - Recall based questionnaire assessing sleep habits for the past one month only which includes sleeping timing habits and quality of sleep (Very good, Fairly good, Fairly bad and very bad)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Change in waist circumferenceEvery 4 weeks (Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16, week 20 and week 24)

Waist Circumference (cm)

Change in total cholesterolEvery 12 weeks (Week 0, week 12, and week 24)

Total cholesterol (mmol/l)

Change in weightEvery 4 weeks (Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16, week 20 and week 24)

Weight (kg)

Change in dietEvery 12 weeks (Week 0, week 12 and week 24)

Dietary Assessment, 3-day food record (Participant's family member)

Change in blood pressureEvery 4 weeks (Week 0, week 4, week 8, week 12, week 16, week 20 and week 24)

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure (mmHg) after a 10 hour overnight fast

Change in high-density lipoprotein cholesterolEvery 12 weeks (Week 0, week 12, and week 24)

High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mmol/l)

Change in low-density lipoprotein cholesterolEvery 12 weeks (Week 0, week 12, and week 24)

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mmol/l)

Change in total triglycerideEvery 12 weeks (Week 0, week 12, and week 24)

Total triglyceride (mmol/l)

Change in blood glucose concentrationEvery 12 weeks (Week 0, week 12, and week 24)

Blood glucose concentration

Change in blood insulin concentrationEvery 12 weeks (Week 0, week 12, and week 24)

Blood insulin concentration

Change in daily physical activityDaily (Week 0 to week 24)

Tracked with an electronic activity tracker

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

National University of Singapaore

🇸🇬

Singapore, Singapore

Hannah Senior Activity Centre

🇸🇬

Singapore, Singapore

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