Fruit and Vegetable ConsumptionNCT01511484
You Are What You Eat: A Randomised Controlled Trial of an Appearance-based Dietary Intervention
A study testing Information-only, Generic appearance intervention and Personalised appearance intervention in people with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, run by Perception Lab at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
This study investigated whether illustration of the facial appearance benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption is able to motivate increased intake of this food group. The investigators hypothesize that individuals witnessing illustrations of the impact of a healthy diet will exhibit improvements in diet relative… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 61 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
- What is being tested?
- Information-only, Generic appearance intervention and Personalised appearance intervention
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 73 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- Feb 2011to Jun 2011
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 61 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Student or staff member at University of St Andrews
- Has access to email account to receive link to weekly online questionnaire.
Who cannot join
- Exited study before completion
- Unable to make dietary changes due to a medical condition
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site
Perception Lab, School of Psychology, University of St Andrews
St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9JP
About this study
This study investigated whether illustration of the facial appearance benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption is able to motivate increased intake of this food group. The investigators hypothesize that individuals witnessing illustrations of the impact of a healthy diet will exhibit improvements in diet relative to a control group receiving only information on the health-benefits of this food group.
- Conditions
- Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
- Being tested
- Information-only, Generic appearance intervention, Personalised appearance intervention
- Keywords
- fruit, vegetables, appearance, skin color, carotenoids, diet
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Information-onlyBehavioural
Selected pages from the British National Health Service (NHS) information booklets ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg)"; pages i, ii, 12-15, 20 \& 21] and ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg): What's it all about?"; pages i-ii)] were provided to all participants on completion of baseline questionnaires. The pages provided information on recommended portion sizes, meal planning, health benefits and answered frequently asked diet-related questions
Generic appearance interventionBehavioural
Participants in the generic appearance intervention group received images to illustrate the impact of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin appearance. Participants in this group were presented with gender congruent stimuli, constructed by averaging the facial shape and colour of four male/female faces.
Participants viewed the gender-congruent set of the resulting stimuli in two forms. Firstly, after completion of baseline questionnaires, images were displayed on a computer monitor. Participants were instructed to select what they perceived as the healthiest face colour, which was recorded by the computer program over two trials.
Participants in this group also received a take-home photo quality leaflet to further illustrate the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin colour.
Personalised appearance interventionBehavioural
Participants in this group received stimuli manipulated in identical ways to that received by the generic appearance-intervention group, except the illustrations were performed upon images of the participant's own face.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Information-only | Experimental | Selected pages from the British National Health Service (NHS) information booklets ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg)"; pages i, ii, 12-15, 20 \& 21] and ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg): What's it all about?"; pages i-ii)] were provided to all participants on completion of baseline questionnaires. The pages provided information on recommended portion sizes, meal planning, health benefits and answered frequently asked diet-related questions Receives: Behavioral: Information-only |
| Generic-appearance intervention | Experimental | Participants in the generic appearance intervention group received images to illustrate the impact of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin appearance. Participants in this group were presented with gender congruent stimuli, constructed by averaging the facial shape and colour of four male/female faces.
Participants viewed the gender-congruent set of the resulting stimuli in two forms. Firstly, after completion of baseline questionnaires, images were displayed on a computer monitor. Participants were instructed to select what they perceived as the healthiest face colour, which was recorded by the computer program over two trials.
Participants in this group also received a take-home photo quality leaflet to further illustrate the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin colour. Receives: Behavioral: Generic appearance intervention |
| Personalised appearance intervention | Experimental | Participants in this group received stimuli manipulated in identical ways to that received by the generic appearance-intervention group, except the illustrations were performed upon images of the participant's own face. Receives: Behavioral: Personalised appearance intervention |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Fruit and vegetable consumption
Participants completed a computerised food frequency questionnaire to establish fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants were asked to retrospectively report consumption frequency of fruit juice, fruit, vegetable juice, salad, vegetable soup and vegetable items over the past seven days. Participants reported consumption of standard portion sizes and were provided with NHS illustrations of portion size guidelines to assist estimations.
Measured: up to 10 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted18 Jan 2012 (estimated)
- Study startFeb 2011
- Primary completionJun 2011
- Study completionJun 2011
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (4)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Fruit and Vegetable ConsumptionStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Perception Lab
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Unilever R&D
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, David Perrett, University of St Andrews
- Investigators
- Ross D Whitehead, MSc, Study director, University of St Andrews
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01511484
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- PerceptionLab001
- Status last verified
- Jan 2012
- First submitted
- 23 Dec 2011
- Last updated
- 18 Jan 2012
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Stephen ID, Coetzee, V, Perrett D. Carotenoid and Melanin Pigment Coloration Affect Perceived Human Health. Evolution and Human Behaviour.32(3): 216-227. 2011.
Stephen ID, Law Smith MJ, Stirrat MR, Perrett DI. Facial Skin Coloration Affects Perceived Health of Human Faces. Int J Primatol. 2009 Dec;30(6):845-857. doi: 10.1007/s10764-009-9380-z. Epub 2009 Oct 26.
PubMed 19946602Whitehead RD, Ozakinci G, Stephen ID, Perrett DI. Appealing to vanity: could potential appearance improvement motivate fruit and vegetable consumption? Am J Public Health. 2012 Feb;102(2):207-11. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300405. Epub 2011 Dec 15.
PubMed 22390433Whitehead RD, Ozakinci G, Perrett DI. A randomized controlled trial of an appearance-based dietary intervention. Health Psychol. 2014 Jan;33(1):99-102. doi: 10.1037/a0032322. Epub 2013 Mar 25.
PubMed 23527517
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Jan 2012. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- You Are What You Eat: A Randomised Controlled Trial of an Appearance-based Dietary Intervention
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01511484
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PerceptionLab001
- Conditions
- Fruit and Vegetable Consumption
- Keywords
- fruit, vegetables, appearance, skin color, carotenoids, diet
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Perception LabUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Unilever R&D
- Study start
- Feb 2011
- Primary completion
- Jun 2011 (actual)
- Study completion
- Jun 2011 (actual)
- First posted
- 18 Jan 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study investigated whether illustration of the facial appearance benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption is able to motivate increased intake of this food group. The investigators hypothesize that individuals witnessing illustrations of the impact of a healthy diet will exhibit improvements in diet relative to a control group receiving only information on the health-benefits of this food group.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Information-only | Experimental | Behavioral: Information-onlySelected pages from the British National Health Service (NHS) information booklets ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg)"; pages i, ii, 12-15, 20 \& 21] and ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg): What's it all about?"; pages i-ii)] were provided to all participants on completion of baseline questionnaires. The pages provided information on recommended portion sizes, meal planning, health benefits and answered frequently asked diet-related questions |
| Generic-appearance intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Generic appearance interventionParticipants in the generic appearance intervention group received images to illustrate the impact of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin appearance. Participants in this group were presented with gender congruent stimuli, constructed by averaging the facial shape and colour of four male/female faces. Participants viewed the gender-congruent set of the resulting stimuli in two forms. Firstly, after completion of baseline questionnaires, images were displayed on a computer monitor. Participants were instructed to select what they perceived as the healthiest face colour, which was recorded by the computer program over two trials. Participants in this group also received a take-home photo quality leaflet to further illustrate the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin colour. |
| Personalised appearance intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Personalised appearance interventionParticipants in this group received stimuli manipulated in identical ways to that received by the generic appearance-intervention group, except the illustrations were performed upon images of the participant's own face. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 61 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Student or staff member at University of St Andrews
- Has access to email account to receive link to weekly online questionnaire.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Exited study before completion
- Unable to make dietary changes due to a medical condition
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Information-onlySelected pages from the British National Health Service (NHS) information booklets ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg)"; pages i, ii, 12-15, 20 \& 21] and ["5 A Day, Just Eat More (fruit \& veg): What's it all about?"; pages i-ii)] were provided to all participants on completion of baseline questionnaires. The pages provided information on recommended portion sizes, meal planning, health benefits and answered frequently asked diet-related questions | Behavioural | Information-only |
| Generic appearance interventionParticipants in the generic appearance intervention group received images to illustrate the impact of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin appearance. Participants in this group were presented with gender congruent stimuli, constructed by averaging the facial shape and colour of four male/female faces. Participants viewed the gender-congruent set of the resulting stimuli in two forms. Firstly, after completion of baseline questionnaires, images were displayed on a computer monitor. Participants were instructed to select what they perceived as the healthiest face colour, which was recorded by the computer program over two trials. Participants in this group also received a take-home photo quality leaflet to further illustrate the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on skin colour. | Behavioural | Generic-appearance intervention |
| Personalised appearance interventionParticipants in this group received stimuli manipulated in identical ways to that received by the generic appearance-intervention group, except the illustrations were performed upon images of the participant's own face. | Behavioural | Personalised appearance intervention |
Primary outcome
Fruit and vegetable consumption
Time frame: up to 10 weeks
Participants completed a computerised food frequency questionnaire to establish fruit and vegetable consumption. Participants were asked to retrospectively report consumption frequency of fruit juice, fruit, vegetable juice, salad, vegetable soup and vegetable items over the past seven days. Participants reported consumption of standard portion sizes and were provided with NHS illustrations of portion size guidelines to assist estimations.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Jan 2012.
- BackgroundStephen ID, Coetzee, V, Perrett D. Carotenoid and Melanin Pigment Coloration Affect Perceived Human Health. Evolution and Human Behaviour.32(3): 216-227. 2011.
- Background: PubMed 19946602Stephen ID, Law Smith MJ, Stirrat MR, Perrett DI. Facial Skin Coloration Affects Perceived Health of Human Faces. Int J Primatol. 2009 Dec;30(6):845-857. doi: 10.1007/s10764-009-9380-z. Epub 2009 Oct 26.
- Background: PubMed 22390433Whitehead RD, Ozakinci G, Stephen ID, Perrett DI. Appealing to vanity: could potential appearance improvement motivate fruit and vegetable consumption? Am J Public Health. 2012 Feb;102(2):207-11. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2011.300405. Epub 2011 Dec 15.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 23527517Whitehead RD, Ozakinci G, Perrett DI. A randomized controlled trial of an appearance-based dietary intervention. Health Psychol. 2014 Jan;33(1):99-102. doi: 10.1037/a0032322. Epub 2013 Mar 25.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Ross D Whitehead, MSc study director
University of St Andrews
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Information-only, Generic appearance intervention and Personalised appearance intervention in people with Fruit and Vegetable Consumption, run by Perception Lab at 1 site in United Kingdom.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Jan 2012. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United Kingdom. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Fruit and vegetable consumption (time frame: up to 10 weeks). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01511484, which also lists 4 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Jan 2012.