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NCT Number: NCT05863078

The Menus of Change Health and Heart Benefits for University Students

The goal of this cross-sectional study is to investigate the health benefits of the Menus of Change in undergraduate university students, by comparing 2 groups: Students eating in the Menus of change catered halls, versus students eating outside the Menus of change meal plan. The main question it aims to answer is:

What are the effects of the menus of change on other vascular outcomes, namely blood pressure? What are the effects of the menus of change on other health markers?

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Key information

Conditions

Healthy Lifestyle

Age range

18 year–25 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

About this study

The Menus of Change (MoC) is an example of behaviour change that was created by The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. This initiative is based on a set of around 24 core principles, mainly promoting and serving 'healthy, sustainable, and delicious' food in restaurants and foodservice operations. The University of Reading has successfully implemented the MoC across the campus and in students' accommodations. However, MoC is not implemented across all campus halls.

To date, most of the studies performed in relation to the MoC had explored techniques to encourage students towards healthier, more sustainable diets. Very little research focuses on the associated health outcomes and hence the impact on health of the eating pattern laid out in the MoC principles.

Therefore, this project aims to investigate the health impact of the menu of change on university students, by comparing 2 groups: students eating in MoC catered halls, following the meal plan provided by the university food services, versus students who do not follow the menus of change meal plan. The primary aim will be to investigate the effect of the MoC on vascular outcomes, namely arterial stiffness, a particularly important tool in younger adults with low-moderate cardiovascular disease risk.

Secondary aims will be to investigate other vascular outcomes, namely blood pressure changes, as well as looking at other health markers, such as full blood count, lipid profile, sugar levels, liver and kidney function, and CVD related inflammatory markers. In addition, the study aims to look at the impact of the MoC on stress and anxiety levels and the differences in students' attainment between groups.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults
  • Home students living in university halls
  • Undergraduates
  • Can understand participant information sheet and willing to comply with the study design

Exclusion criteria

  • International students
  • postgraduates
  • living outside the university halls
  • participating in other studies

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

  1. Arterial stiffness

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    Arterial stiffness will be measured using Mobil-O-Graph to assess the cardiovascular risk in participants

Secondary outcomes

  1. Full blood count

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    Full blood count levels will be compared between both groups

  2. Lipid profile

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    Lipid profile levels will be compared between both groups

  3. Glucose levels

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    by comparing levels between both groups

  4. liver profile

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    comparing liver profile levels between both groups

  5. Kidney profile

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    kidney profile levels to be compared between both groups

  6. SCFA levels

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    short chain fatty acids levels to be compared between both groups

  7. Cardiovascular disease related inflammatory biomarkers

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks after completing a 3-day food diary

    Levels to be compared between both groups

Other outcomes

  1. Depression and anxiety survey

    Time frame: up to 2 weeks before the study visit

    Beck's depression survey, STAI 1 and PANAS

  2. Academic attainment

    Time frame: By the end of academic year

    To assess the relationship between healthy diet and academic results

  3. Urine dietary biomarkers level

    Time frame: 24-hours before the study visit

    by 24-hours urine sample

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Charlotte Mills, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

01183787108 ext. 7108

Youmna Hussein, PharmD, MSc

CONTACT

[email protected]

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Reading

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Menus of Change Health and Heart Benefits for University Students (The MOCHAHS Trial): a Cross-sectional Study

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
May 17, 2023
Registry last updated
Nov 22, 2024

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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