Teaching Kitchens Intervention for Older Adults in a Senior Center in New England
ConditionDietary Quality
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot listed
Trial typeObservational
Biological sexAll
Age50+
SponsorTufts University
About this trial
This study will evaluate a culinary nutrition intervention designed to improve the quality of meals served to older adults participating in a senior center. Many meals currently provided in these settings do not meet recommended dietary guidelines, which negatively impact health outcomes among older adults. In this pilot study, participants will receive improved lunch meals that are designed to be more nutritious, culturally appropriate, and acceptable, along with nutrition education sessions over a 6-month period. This intervention will also include training for food service staff to support implementation of the improved meals. The study will assess changes in dietary quality, physical health measures, and social and behavioral outcomes among participants at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Findings from this study will help determine the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach and inform future efforts to improve nutrition and health outcomes in Congregate Meal Program for older adults.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
Age 50 years or older
Regularly visits the Senior Center either for lunch meals or other center-based programming
Willing and able to participate in a 6-month intervention, which includes consistent involvement in the lunch program
Willing and able to participate in multiple focus group discussions centered around meal preferences, health perceptions, and dietary habits (full study participation is 7 months)
Disqualifiers
History of moderate to severe neurological condition(s) that may impact cognitive ability (e.g., dementia, major stroke)
Known severe food allergies that may interfere with participation. (with study MD approval, participants with mild allergies or intolerances may be included and notified not to consume any known allergens)
Recent changes in health status that affect the ability to assess foods (e.g., altered appetite, smell, vision, hearing, and/or taste)
Any disorder, unwillingness, or inability, not covered by any of the other exclusion criteria, which, in either the investigator's or study MD's opinion, might jeopardize the subject's compliance with the protocol. This includes impaired vision requiring assistance or aid from another person, impaired smell, or impaired taste perception. Given the number of written surveys and visual support materials, the study would place a large burden on participation for individuals with visual impairment requiring assistance.
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Not listed
Trial groups
30 Participants
are grouped into 1 trial groupSponsors and collaborators
Tufts University
Lead sponsor
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov