Diet, HealthyNCT05752786
Evaluation of the "Eat Less Meat" One-month Challenge
A study testing "Eat Less Meat" Challenge in people with Diet, Healthy and Food Habits, run by Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
In a context where meat consumption should be dramatically reduced in western countries to improve both population and planet health, the "Eat Less Meat" one-month challenge is a new behavioural intervention that aims (i) to weaken meat consumption habit and (ii) to enhance intrinsic motivation to eat less meat to… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Diet, Healthy, Food Habits
- What is being tested?
- "Eat Less Meat" Challenge
- Type of treatment
- Injection or infusion, Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 366 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 1 Feb 2023to 18 Jun 2023
- 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 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- BMI ≥ 18.5
- University student in 'Bourgogne Franche-Comté'
- Fluent in French
- Available email address
- Available Instagram profile
Who cannot join
- Vegetarian or vegan or pescetarian
- Pregnant/breastfeeding
- Iron deficiency
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: Evaluation of the Effect of the "Eat Less Meat" One-month Challenge on Meat Consumption Among French University Students
In a context where meat consumption should be dramatically reduced in western countries to improve both population and planet health, the "Eat Less Meat" one-month challenge is a new behavioural intervention that aims (i) to weaken meat consumption habit and (ii) to enhance intrinsic motivation to eat less meat to trigger long-term reduction in meat consumption. The present study focusses on the quantitative evaluation of the effect of this challenge on French university student's meat consumption.
Parallel two-arm randomized controlled trial with repeated measures (online questionnaires) pre-, during- and post-intervention. All the participants will be recruited to take part in the "Eat Less Meat" challenge for one month. Participants in the control group will take part in the challenge 4 months after the participants in the intervention group. Participants in both groups will complete the online questionnaires at the exact same time, i.e., pre-, during- and post-intervention measures will take place before the control group starts the challenge.
- Conditions
- Diet, Healthy, Food Habits
- Being tested
- "Eat Less Meat" Challenge
- Keywords
- meat reduction, environmental impact, nutritional quality, diet
- Medical subject headings
- Feeding Behavior
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
"Eat Less Meat" ChallengeBehavioural
Participants will be able to choose their goal for the challenge for one month: (i) no meat, (ii) meat 3 times a week, (iii) meat 6 times a week (which will need to be lower than current consumption). The first day of the challenge, the participants will receive by email a cookbook and a starter kit with advices and motivational tips, then they will receive an email each week with more advices and motivational tips. Participants will be also asked to follow the Instagram account of the challenge during one month where (i) one post will be posted each day, (ii) engaging stories requiring interactions will be posted regularly, (iii) participants can ask their questions to the research team, (iv) participants can interact with each other's. The Instagram posts will cover three main topics: (i) knowledge about meat and its impact on health and environment, (ii) tips for meat-free cooking, (iii) social/contextual pressure to eat meat and how to avoid it.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| "Eat Less Meat" challenge | Experimental | Participants take part in the "Eat Less Meat" challenge Receives: Behavioral: "Eat Less Meat" Challenge |
| "Eat Less Meat" challenge later | Other | Participants take part in the "Eat Less Meat" challenge 4 months after the participants in the experimental arm, i.e., after all measures completion Receives: Behavioral: "Eat Less Meat" Challenge |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change from Baseline Meat consumption at 1 month (during intervention)
Meat daily intake (in grams) will be calculated by summing daily intake for all the items of the food frequency questionnaire that fall into the meat category.
Measured: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Meat consumption at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Meat daily intake (in grams) will be calculated by summing daily intake for all the items of the food frequency questionnaire that fall into the meat category.
Measured: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Secondary outcomes (8)
Change from Baseline Adherence to the French dietary guidelines at 1 month (during intervention)
Adherence to the French dietary guidelines will be evaluated using the simplified PNNS-GS2. The sPNNS-GS2 builds on the distinction between malus components (less healthy food groups which consumption should be limited, carrying a negative score, i.e., red meat, processed meat, sugary foods, sweet-tasting beverages, alcoholic beverages, salt) and bonus components (healthier food groups carrying a positive score, i.e., fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole-grain food, milk and dairy products, fish and seafood) reflecting established knowledge on the relationship between food groups consumption and non-communicable disease risk factors. sPNNS-GS2 will computed for each participant (range: -17 to 11.5, with higher scores indicating better adherence to the French dietary guidelines).
Measured: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Adherence to the French dietary guidelines at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Adherence to the French dietary guidelines will be evaluated using the simplified PNNS-GS2. The sPNNS-GS2 builds on the distinction between malus components (less healthy food groups which consumption should be limited, carrying a negative score, i.e., red meat, processed meat, sugary foods, sweet-tasting beverages, alcoholic beverages, salt) and bonus components (healthier food groups carrying a positive score, i.e., fruits and vegetables, nuts, legumes, whole-grain food, milk and dairy products, fish and seafood) reflecting established knowledge on the relationship between food groups consumption and non-communicable disease risk factors. sPNNS-GS2 will computed for each participant (range: -17 to 11.5, with higher scores indicating better adherence to the French dietary guidelines).
Measured: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Change from Baseline Greenhouse gas emissions at 1 month (during intervention)
Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) will be calculated by multiplying the daily intake of each food item by its associated GHGEs per kg
Measured: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Greenhouse gas emissions at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Greenhouse gas emissions (GHGEs) will be calculated by multiplying the daily intake of each food item by its associated GHGEs per kg
Measured: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Change from Baseline Meat consumption habit at 1 month (during intervention)
The Self-Report Habit Index will be computed by averaging ratings for all the 12 individual items from the Self-Report Habit questionnaire. Responses will be reported on a 6-point scale anchored by 'strongly disagree' and 'strongly agree' from 1 to 6. The scores will be coded such that high values indicated strong habits.
Measured: 3 minutes, repeated measures (online Self-Report Habit questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Meat consumption habit at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
The Self-Report Habit Index will be computed by averaging ratings for all the 12 individual items from the Self-Report Habit questionnaire. Responses will be reported on a 6-point scale anchored by 'strongly disagree' and 'strongly agree' from 1 to 6. The scores will be coded such that high values indicated strong habits.
Measured: 3 minutes, repeated measures (online Self-Report Habit questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Change from Baseline Food choice motives at 1 month (during intervention)
The food choice questionnaire (FCQ) includes 30 items and 10 subscales: health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity, ethical concern and animal welfare. Answers to each item will range from 1 to 4: 1 = Not at all important; 2 = A little important; 3 = Moderately important; 4 = Very important. A score for each motive will be computed by averaging ratings for the three individual items in each of the ten subscales, higher scores indicating higher importance.
Measured: 5 minutes, repeated measures (online food choice motives questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Food choice motives at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
The food choice questionnaire (FCQ) includes 30 items and 10 subscales: health, mood, convenience, sensory appeal, natural content, price, weight control, familiarity, ethical concern and animal welfare. Answers to each item will range from 1 to 4: 1 = Not at all important; 2 = A little important; 3 = Moderately important; 4 = Very important. A score for each motive will be computed by averaging ratings for the three individual items in each of the ten subscales, higher scores indicating higher importance.
Measured: 5 minutes, repeated measures (online food choice motives questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Mar 2023
- Study start1 Feb 2023
- Primary completion31 May 2023
- Study completion18 Jun 2023
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Diet, HealthyStudies 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
- 366 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Lucile Marty, Principal investigator, Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05752786
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- EIPH0154
- Status last verified
- Aug 2023
- First submitted
- 1 Feb 2023
- Last updated
- 30 Aug 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: Share on Open Science Framework
Publications
Marty L, Biehlmann M, Louveau A, Poquet D, Robinson E. The "Eat Less Meat" one-month challenge: a randomized controlled trial of a meat reduction pledge intervention among French university students. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2025 Oct 27;22(1):131. doi: 10.1186/s12966-025-01831-7.
PubMed 41146183
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 30 Aug 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of the Effect of the "Eat Less Meat" One-month Challenge on Meat Consumption Among French University Students
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05752786
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- EIPH0154
- Conditions
- Diet, Healthy, Food Habits
- Keywords
- meat reduction, environmental impact, nutritional quality, diet
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 366 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'EnvironnementUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Feb 2023 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 May 2023 (actual)
- Study completion
- 18 Jun 2023 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Mar 2023 (actual)
- 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.
In a context where meat consumption should be dramatically reduced in western countries to improve both population and planet health, the "Eat Less Meat" one-month challenge is a new behavioural intervention that aims (i) to weaken meat consumption habit and (ii) to enhance intrinsic motivation to eat less meat to trigger long-term reduction in meat consumption. The present study focusses on the quantitative evaluation of the effect of this challenge on French university student's meat consumption.
Parallel two-arm randomized controlled trial with repeated measures (online questionnaires) pre-, during- and post-intervention. All the participants will be recruited to take part in the "Eat Less Meat" challenge for one month. Participants in the control group will take part in the challenge 4 months after the participants in the intervention group. Participants in both groups will complete the online questionnaires at the exact same time, i.e., pre-, during- and post-intervention measures will take place before the control group starts the challenge.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| "Eat Less Meat" challenge | Experimental | Behavioral: "Eat Less Meat" ChallengeParticipants take part in the "Eat Less Meat" challenge |
| "Eat Less Meat" challenge later | Other | Behavioral: "Eat Less Meat" ChallengeParticipants take part in the "Eat Less Meat" challenge 4 months after the participants in the experimental arm, i.e., after all measures completion |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- BMI ≥ 18.5
- University student in 'Bourgogne Franche-Comté'
- Fluent in French
- Available email address
- Available Instagram profile
Key exclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Vegetarian or vegan or pescetarian
- Pregnant/breastfeeding
- Iron deficiency
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 |
|---|---|---|
| "Eat Less Meat" ChallengeParticipants will be able to choose their goal for the challenge for one month: (i) no meat, (ii) meat 3 times a week, (iii) meat 6 times a week (which will need to be lower than current consumption). The first day of the challenge, the participants will receive by email a cookbook and a starter kit with advices and motivational tips, then they will receive an email each week with more advices and motivational tips. Participants will be also asked to follow the Instagram account of the challenge during one month where (i) one post will be posted each day, (ii) engaging stories requiring interactions will be posted regularly, (iii) participants can ask their questions to the research team, (iv) participants can interact with each other's. The Instagram posts will cover three main topics: (i) knowledge about meat and its impact on health and environment, (ii) tips for meat-free cooking, (iii) social/contextual pressure to eat meat and how to avoid it. | Behavioural | "Eat Less Meat" challenge, "Eat Less Meat" challenge later |
Primary outcome
Change from Baseline Meat consumption at 1 month (during intervention)
Time frame: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Meat daily intake (in grams) will be calculated by summing daily intake for all the items of the food frequency questionnaire that fall into the meat category.
Change from Baseline Meat consumption at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Time frame: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Meat daily intake (in grams) will be calculated by summing daily intake for all the items of the food frequency questionnaire that fall into the meat category.
8 secondary outcomes
Change from Baseline Adherence to the French dietary guidelines at 1 month (during intervention)
Time frame: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Adherence to the French dietary guidelines at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Time frame: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Change from Baseline Greenhouse gas emissions at 1 month (during intervention)
Time frame: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Greenhouse gas emissions at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Time frame: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Change from Baseline Meat consumption habit at 1 month (during intervention)
Time frame: 3 minutes, repeated measures (online Self-Report Habit questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Meat consumption habit at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Time frame: 3 minutes, repeated measures (online Self-Report Habit questionnaire): baseline and month 4
Change from Baseline Food choice motives at 1 month (during intervention)
Time frame: 5 minutes, repeated measures (online food choice motives questionnaire): baseline and month 1
Change from Baseline Food choice motives at 4 months (3 months after intervention)
Time frame: 5 minutes, repeated measures (online food choice motives questionnaire): baseline and month 4
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 30 Aug 2023.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41146183Marty L, Biehlmann M, Louveau A, Poquet D, Robinson E. The "Eat Less Meat" one-month challenge: a randomized controlled trial of a meat reduction pledge intervention among French university students. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2025 Oct 27;22(1):131. doi: 10.1186/s12966-025-01831-7.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. Share on Open Science Framework
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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.
Lucile Marty principal investigator
Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing "Eat Less Meat" Challenge in people with Diet, Healthy and Food Habits, run by Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement at 1 site in France.
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 5 inclusion and 3 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 30 Aug 2023. 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 France. 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?
Change from Baseline Meat consumption at 1 month (during intervention) (time frame: 20 minutes, repeated measures (online food frequency questionnaire): baseline and month 1). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. 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 NCT05752786, which also lists 1 linked publication.
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 30 Aug 2023.