Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeNCT03028714
The Impact of Online Quiz-games on Nutrition Knowledge and Related Outcomes Among University Students.
A study testing Technology-based nutrition education in people with Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, run by Kingston University at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
Metabolic risk factors, such as central obesity, increase the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood and are prevalent in many university students. Increasing the knowledge about healthy nutrition and physical activity can positively impact students' lifestyle and prevent weight gain. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 34 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- What is being tested?
- Technology-based nutrition education
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 88 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 26 Jan 2017to 30 Mar 2018
- 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 34 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Currently studying at Kingston University, London or at St George's, University of London, as an undergraduate or postgraduate student or undertaking research within one of the two organizations.
- Aged between 18 and 34 years.
- Generally, in good health.
Who cannot join
- Not currently studying at Kingston University, London or at St George's, University of London.
- Less than 18 or more than 34 years old.
- Suffering a long-term disease or condition that requires a special treatment or diet.
- Suffering a mobility impairment or injury that doesn't allow undertaking moderate physical activity.
- Pregnant or breast-feeding.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site
Kingston University, London & St George's, University of London
London, SW17 0RE
About this study
Official title: The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Nutrition Knowledge, Dietary Habits, BMI and Physical Activity, in University Students in the United Kingdom (UK).
Metabolic risk factors, such as central obesity, increase the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood and are prevalent in many university students. Increasing the knowledge about healthy nutrition and physical activity can positively impact students' lifestyle and prevent weight gain. This study aims to investigate the impact of online educational methods on nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, BMI, and physical activity in a sample of university students in the UK. Anthropometric measurements will be assessed and questionnaires will be completed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Written consent will be sought, the voluntary nature of participation will be emphasized while anonymity and confidentiality will be strictly maintained.
Read the detailed description
The intervention is a randomized-controlled trial with two data collection points: one at the beginning and one at the end of the study. The study will include healthy students from two UK Universities, who they will be randomly assigned either to the intervention or to the control group. Participants in both groups will be asked to undertake measurements and complete questionnaires before and after the study. Measurements include the assessment of BMI, body fat, lean mass, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and blood glucose. In addition, nutrition knowledge and dietary habits will be estimated using online questionnaires as well as the level of physical activity using the IPAQ questionnaire and pedometers. Participants in the intervention group will receive access to an educational website including information about fruit and vegetables, fat, sugars, fast-food, meat, salt, meals and snacks, food labels, exercise, and alcohol. Each category will be linked to an online quiz-game that will include questions related to the topic. Students will be asked to play the games as much as they want to improve their knowledge scores. Access to the website and the games will be available for 10 weeks. Participants in the control group will receive no intervention. After 10 weeks, participants will be asked to undertake the same measurements and complete the same questionnaires as they did in the beginning of the study. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an online educational intervention, using game elements, on the level of nutrition knowledge of students, as well as, whether any changes in knowledge impact changes in dietary habits, physical activity and weight-related factors.
- Conditions
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Being tested
- Technology-based nutrition education
- Keywords
- University, College, University students, Health education, Educational techonology, Internet, Nutrition knowledge, Eating behaviour, Diet, Physical Activity, Weight gain prevention
- Medical subject headings
- Behavior, Health Education, Feeding Behavior, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Technology-based nutrition educationBehavioural
All participants will undertake anthropometric measurements and assessments of blood pressure and blood glucose. They will be also asked to complete online questionnaires with regards to nutrition and physical activity. Participants in the intervention group will receive additional access to a website, providing information about nutrition topics including alcohol and physical activity. Through the website participants will be asked to play online quiz-games related to the nutrition topics. Each play will include game elements such as time, point collection and graphics. Participants will be asked to play the games as much as they want to improve their scores and to use the website as a reference tool.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Technology-based nutrition education | Experimental | Participants will receive access to a website including educational information about nutrition and related topics. Through the website they will be asked to play online quiz-games relevant to the content of the website to improve their knowledge. Receives: Behavioral: Technology-based nutrition education |
| Control group | No intervention | Participants in the control group will receive no intervention. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Level of nutrition knowledge (score in units)
The level of nutrition knowledge will be assessed using the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (GNKQ) (Kliemann et al., 2016). The GNKQ includes questions with multiple choice answers, presented in 4 sections: section 1 is related to dietary recommendations, section 2 is related to food groups, section 3 is related to health food choices and section 4 is related to diet, disease and weight association. Each correct answer gets a point (otherwise null) and the maximum score is 88 for the overall questionnaire, 18 for section 1, 36 for section 2, 13 for section 3 and 21 for section 4.
Measured: One year
Secondary outcomes (9)
Dietary habits (score in units)
Dietary habits will be assessed using the questionnaire of Leppälä, J. et al. (2010). The questionnaire includes 18 questions in relation to whole grain products, fat containing foods, dairy products, vegetables and fruits, sugar and meal pattern. A scoring system is provided as a manual to calculate the total score based on the answer given to each question. The total score represents diet quality (Index of Diet Quality) and can be ranged from 0-15, with 9 or less points indicating a poor diet quality.
Measured: One year
Physical activity [vigorous activity (days/week, minutes/week), moderate activity (days/week, minutes/week), walking (days/week, minutes/week), sitting time (minutes/week)].
Physical activity will be assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ-short) (Craig et al., 2003). The questionnaire includes questions regarding 1) days per week and time (minutes) spent on one of those days doing vigorous activity, 2) days per week and time (minutes) spent on one of those days doing moderate activity, 3) days per week and time (minutes) spent on one of those days walking and 4) time (minutes) spent the last week sitting on a week day.
Measured: One year
Physical activity (number of steps/week).
Pedometers will be used to calculate the amount of physical activity by counting daily number of steps.
Measured: One year
Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2)
BMI (kg/m2) will be estimated after measuring body weight (kg), using an analog scale and height (in meters), using a stadiometer.
Measured: 1 year
Body fat (%)
Body fat (%) will be estimated using a TANITA body fat analyzer.
Measured: 1 year
Lean mass (kg)
Lean mass (kg) will be estimated using a TANITA body fat analyzer.
Measured: 1 year
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
To calculate waist-to-hip ratio a measuring tape will be used to measure waist circumference (cm) and hip circumference (cm) separately. Waist circumference (cm) will be measured at the midpoint between the top of the iliac crest and the lower margin of the last palpable rib in the mid axillary line. Hip circumference (cm) will be measured at the largest circumference of the buttocks.
Measured: 1 year
Blood pressure (mmHg)
Systolic (mmHg) and diastolic (mmHg) blood pressure will be measured using an electronic sphygmomanometer. The participant will be in a relaxed, quiet room at a comfortable temperature and a short period of 5 minutes rest will precede the measurement.The measurement will be undertaken twice.
Measured: 1 year
Blood glucose (mmol/l)
Blood glucose levels (mmol/l) will be measured by finger pricking using a blood glucose meter. The participant will be asked to be fasted.
Measured: 1 year
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted23 Jan 2017 (estimated)
- Study start26 Jan 2017
- Primary completion15 Mar 2018
- Study completion30 Mar 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Health Knowledge, Attitudes, PracticeStudies 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
- 88 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Kingston University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- St George's, University of London, King's College London
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Katerina Belogianni, Kingston University
- Investigators
- Katerina Belogianni, PhD, Principal investigator, Kingston University, London
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03028714
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- FREC 2016-04-001
- Status last verified
- Aug 2018
- First submitted
- 16 Jan 2017
- Last updated
- 8 Aug 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Publications
Kliemann N, Wardle J, Johnson F, Croker H. Reliability and validity of a revised version of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016 Oct;70(10):1174-1180. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.87. Epub 2016 Jun 1.
PubMed 27245211Leppala J, Lagstrom H, Kaljonen A, Laitinen K. Construction and evaluation of a self-contained index for assessment of diet quality. Scand J Public Health. 2010 Dec;38(8):794-802. doi: 10.1177/1403494810382476. Epub 2010 Sep 16.
PubMed 20846997Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjostrom M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, Pratt M, Ekelund U, Yngve A, Sallis JF, Oja P. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Aug;35(8):1381-95. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB.
PubMed 12900694
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 8 Aug 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Impact of an Educational Intervention on Nutrition Knowledge, Dietary Habits, BMI and Physical Activity, in University Students in the United Kingdom (UK).
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03028714
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- FREC 2016-04-001
- Conditions
- Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
- Keywords
- University, College, University students, Health education, Educational techonology, Internet, Nutrition knowledge, Eating behaviour
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 88 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Kingston UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- St George's, University of London, King's College London
- Study start
- 26 Jan 2017 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Mar 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Mar 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 23 Jan 2017 (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.
Metabolic risk factors, such as central obesity, increase the risk of chronic diseases in adulthood and are prevalent in many university students. Increasing the knowledge about healthy nutrition and physical activity can positively impact students' lifestyle and prevent weight gain. This study aims to investigate the impact of online educational methods on nutrition knowledge, dietary habits, BMI, and physical activity in a sample of university students in the UK. Anthropometric measurements will be assessed and questionnaires will be completed at the beginning and at the end of the study. Written consent will be sought, the voluntary nature of participation will be emphasized while anonymity and confidentiality will be strictly maintained.
Detailed description
The intervention is a randomized-controlled trial with two data collection points: one at the beginning and one at the end of the study. The study will include healthy students from two UK Universities, who they will be randomly assigned either to the intervention or to the control group. Participants in both groups will be asked to undertake measurements and complete questionnaires before and after the study. Measurements include the assessment of BMI, body fat, lean mass, waist-to-hip ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure and blood glucose. In addition, nutrition knowledge and dietary habits will be estimated using online questionnaires as well as the level of physical activity using the IPAQ questionnaire and pedometers. Participants in the intervention group will receive access to an educational website including information about fruit and vegetables, fat, sugars, fast-food, meat, salt, meals and snacks, food labels, exercise, and alcohol. Each category will be linked to an online quiz-game that will include questions related to the topic. Students will be asked to play the games as much as they want to improve their knowledge scores. Access to the website and the games will be available for 10 weeks. Participants in the control group will receive no intervention. After 10 weeks, participants will be asked to undertake the same measurements and complete the same questionnaires as they did in the beginning of the study. The study aims to investigate the effectiveness of an online educational intervention, using game elements, on the level of nutrition knowledge of students, as well as, whether any changes in knowledge impact changes in dietary habits, physical activity and weight-related factors.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Technology-based nutrition education | Experimental | Behavioral: Technology-based nutrition educationParticipants will receive access to a website including educational information about nutrition and related topics. Through the website they will be asked to play online quiz-games relevant to the content of the website to improve their knowledge. |
| Control group | No intervention | –Participants in the control group will receive no intervention. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 34 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Currently studying at Kingston University, London or at St George's, University of London, as an undergraduate or postgraduate student or undertaking research within one of the two organizations.
- Aged between 18 and 34 years.
- Generally, in good health.
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Not currently studying at Kingston University, London or at St George's, University of London.
- Less than 18 or more than 34 years old.
- Suffering a long-term disease or condition that requires a special treatment or diet.
- Suffering a mobility impairment or injury that doesn't allow undertaking moderate physical activity.
- Pregnant or breast-feeding.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Technology-based nutrition educationAll participants will undertake anthropometric measurements and assessments of blood pressure and blood glucose. They will be also asked to complete online questionnaires with regards to nutrition and physical activity. Participants in the intervention group will receive additional access to a website, providing information about nutrition topics including alcohol and physical activity. Through the website participants will be asked to play online quiz-games related to the nutrition topics. Each play will include game elements such as time, point collection and graphics. Participants will be asked to play the games as much as they want to improve their scores and to use the website as a reference tool. | Behavioural | Technology-based nutrition education |
Primary outcome
Level of nutrition knowledge (score in units)
Time frame: One year
The level of nutrition knowledge will be assessed using the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (GNKQ) (Kliemann et al., 2016). The GNKQ includes questions with multiple choice answers, presented in 4 sections: section 1 is related to dietary recommendations, section 2 is related to food groups, section 3 is related to health food choices and section 4 is related to diet, disease and weight association. Each correct answer gets a point (otherwise null) and the maximum score is 88 for the overall questionnaire, 18 for section 1, 36 for section 2, 13 for section 3 and 21 for section 4.
9 secondary outcomes
Dietary habits (score in units)
Time frame: One year
Physical activity [vigorous activity (days/week, minutes/week), moderate activity (days/week, minutes/week), walking (days/week, minutes/week), sitting time (minutes/week)].
Time frame: One year
Physical activity (number of steps/week).
Time frame: One year
Body Mass Index (BMI) (kg/m2)
Time frame: 1 year
Body fat (%)
Time frame: 1 year
Lean mass (kg)
Time frame: 1 year
Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)
Time frame: 1 year
Blood pressure (mmHg)
Time frame: 1 year
Blood glucose (mmol/l)
Time frame: 1 year
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 8 Aug 2018.
- Results publication: PubMed 27245211Kliemann N, Wardle J, Johnson F, Croker H. Reliability and validity of a revised version of the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire. Eur J Clin Nutr. 2016 Oct;70(10):1174-1180. doi: 10.1038/ejcn.2016.87. Epub 2016 Jun 1.
- Results publication: PubMed 20846997Leppala J, Lagstrom H, Kaljonen A, Laitinen K. Construction and evaluation of a self-contained index for assessment of diet quality. Scand J Public Health. 2010 Dec;38(8):794-802. doi: 10.1177/1403494810382476. Epub 2010 Sep 16.
- Results publication: PubMed 12900694Craig CL, Marshall AL, Sjostrom M, Bauman AE, Booth ML, Ainsworth BE, Pratt M, Ekelund U, Yngve A, Sallis JF, Oja P. International physical activity questionnaire: 12-country reliability and validity. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Aug;35(8):1381-95. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000078924.61453.FB.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
Related trials for Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Not yet recruiting
The Effectiveness of Comic-based Learning Materials on Nursing Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Confidence in Dementia Care
Dementia Care Education, Students, Nursing
Active, not recruiting
A Multilevel Intervention to Improve Adherence to Childhood Cancer Survivorship
Childhood Cancer, Survivorship
Not yet recruiting
Effects of Immersive VR, Non-Immersive VR, and 3D-Printed Models on Anatomy Learning and Cognitive Load
Healthy, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Not yet recruiting
Developing and Validating Health Education Module for Prostate Cancer Prevention Behavior in Iraqi Male University Staff
Prostate Cancer, Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Active, not recruiting
Doulas as Environmental Educators and Partners Study
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
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.
Katerina Belogianni, PhD principal investigator
Kingston University, London
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Technology-based nutrition education in people with Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, run by Kingston University 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 3 inclusion and 5 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 8 Aug 2018. 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?
Level of nutrition knowledge (score in units) (time frame: One year). 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 NCT03028714, which also lists 3 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 8 Aug 2018; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.