Evaluating the Impact of the Eating Matters Program on the Nutritional Status of Medical Rehab Patients at Joseph Brant Hospital

NCT04445883 | Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: JosephBrantH
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 80
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This research study will determine the impact of the Eating Matters Program on the nutritional status of elderly patients at Joseph Brant Hospital. The Eating Matters Program at Joseph Brant Hospital is a volunteer-based feeding assistance program that aims to improve patients' nutritional intake by providing assistance during mealtimes. As research on the impact of such programs on food intake is limited in Canada, this study will explore how the Eating Matters Program influences protein and energy intake of patients at Joseph Brant Hospital. Further, this study will explore if the hypothesized increase in protein and energy intake with the initiation of the Eating Matters Program is correlated with a decreased risk of malnutrition.

Conditions

Food Intake

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Dietary Intake

  Protein and Energy Intake

  To assess a change from baseline to energy and protein intake post program initiation at the one and two week mark (+/-2days).

Other Outcomes (7)

• Percent weight change

  A change from baseline body weight at 1 week and 2 weeks marks (+/-2) days post the initiation of the Eating Matters Program (EMP).

• Handgrip strength

  A change from baselines in handgrip measure at 1 and 2 weeks marks (+/-2 days) post the initiation of EMP.

• C-Reactive Protein

  A change from baselines CRP at 1 week and 2 weeks marks (+/-2 days) post the initiation of EMP.

Study Arms (2)

Study Group A

EXPERIMENTAL

Study group A will include patients from the medical unit on 6S100 in addition to the Rehab units on 6N400/500. Participants in Study Group A will be receiving mealtime assistance from volunteers via the Eating Matters Program.

Behavioral: Feeding Assistance

Control Group B

NO INTERVENTION

Control Group B will include participants from the Rehab Unit on 4N400 and the Medical unit on 6S200.

Interventions

Feeding Assistance BEHAVIORAL

Patients will be receiving assistance during mealtimes. This includes assistance by opening packages, listing/explaining the food products on the tray, providing encouragement and companionship during mealtimes and directly feed patients.

Study Group A

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 65 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Patients 65 years and over admitted to Medicine and Rehabilitation units at Joseph Brant Hospital with an anticipated stay 10-14 days
• Patients with a Subjective Global Assessment score of B or C, and identified to require eating assistance
• Patients able to provide consent or have a Power of Attorney to do so on their behalf

You may not qualify if:

• Patients that are NPO status (nothing by mouth)
• Patients that require enteral or total parenteral feeding
• Palliative care patients
• Severe cognitive impairment

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Joseph Brant Hospital: lead
• Western University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Joseph Brant Hospital

Burlington, Ontario, L7S 0A2, Canada

RECRUITING

Related Publications (13)

• Allard JP, Keller H, Teterina A, Jeejeebhoy KN, Laporte M, Duerksen DR, Gramlich L, Payette H, Bernier P, Davidson B, Lou W. Lower handgrip strength at discharge from acute care hospitals is associated with 30-day readmission: A prospective cohort study. Clin Nutr. 2016 Dec;35(6):1535-1542. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2016.04.008. Epub 2016 Apr 13.

  PMID: 27155939 BACKGROUND

• Allard JP, Keller H, Jeejeebhoy KN, Laporte M, Duerksen DR, Gramlich L, Payette H, Bernier P, Davidson B, Teterina A, Lou W. Decline in nutritional status is associated with prolonged length of stay in hospitalized patients admitted for 7 days or more: A prospective cohort study. Clin Nutr. 2016 Feb;35(1):144-152. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2015.01.009. Epub 2015 Jan 21.

  PMID: 25660316 BACKGROUND

• Barker LA, Gout BS, Crowe TC. Hospital malnutrition: prevalence, identification and impact on patients and the healthcare system. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2011 Feb;8(2):514-27. doi: 10.3390/ijerph8020514. Epub 2011 Feb 16.

  PMID: 21556200 BACKGROUND

• Bharadwaj S, Ginoya S, Tandon P, Gohel TD, Guirguis J, Vallabh H, Jevenn A, Hanouneh I. Malnutrition: laboratory markers vs nutritional assessment. Gastroenterol Rep (Oxf). 2016 Nov;4(4):272-280. doi: 10.1093/gastro/gow013. Epub 2016 May 11.

  PMID: 27174435 BACKGROUND

• Curtis LJ, Valaitis R, Laur C, McNicholl T, Nasser R, Keller H. Low food intake in hospital: patient, institutional, and clinical factors. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2018 Dec;43(12):1239-1246. doi: 10.1139/apnm-2018-0064. Epub 2018 May 8.

  PMID: 29738268 BACKGROUND

• Curtis LJ, Bernier P, Jeejeebhoy K, Allard J, Duerksen D, Gramlich L, Laporte M, Keller HH. Costs of hospital malnutrition. Clin Nutr. 2017 Oct;36(5):1391-1396. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2016.09.009. Epub 2016 Sep 19.

  PMID: 27765524 BACKGROUND

• Eckert KF, Cahill LE. Malnutrition in Canadian hospitals. CMAJ. 2018 Oct 9;190(40):E1207. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.180108. No abstract available.

  PMID: 30301744 BACKGROUND

• Edwards D, Carrier J, Hopkinson J. Assistance at mealtimes in hospital settings and rehabilitation units for patients (>65years) from the perspective of patients, families and healthcare professionals: A mixed methods systematic review. Int J Nurs Stud. 2017 Apr;69:100-118. doi: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.01.013. Epub 2017 Jan 30.

  PMID: 28199923 BACKGROUND

• Flood A, Chung A, Parker H, Kearns V, O'Sullivan TA. The use of hand grip strength as a predictor of nutrition status in hospital patients. Clin Nutr. 2014 Feb;33(1):106-14. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2013.03.003. Epub 2013 Mar 27.

  PMID: 23615623 BACKGROUND

• Marsik C, Kazemi-Shirazi L, Schickbauer T, Winkler S, Joukhadar C, Wagner OF, Endler G. C-reactive protein and all-cause mortality in a large hospital-based cohort. Clin Chem. 2008 Feb;54(2):343-9. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2007.091959. Epub 2007 Dec 21.

  PMID: 18156283 BACKGROUND

• Manning F, Harris K, Duncan R, Walton K, Bracks J, Larby L, Vari L, Jukkola K, Bell J, Chan M, Batterham M. Additional feeding assistance improves the energy and protein intakes of hospitalised elderly patients. A health services evaluation. Appetite. 2012 Oct;59(2):471-7. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2012.06.011. Epub 2012 Jun 23.

  PMID: 22735333 BACKGROUND

• Sandhaus S, Zalon ML, Valenti D, Dzielak E, Smego RA Jr, Arzamasova U. A volunteer-based Hospital Elder Life Program to reduce delirium. Health Care Manag (Frederick). 2010 Apr-Jun;29(2):150-6. doi: 10.1097/HCM.0b013e3181daa2a0.

  PMID: 20436332 BACKGROUND

• Walton K, Williams P, Bracks J, Zhang Q, Pond L, Smoothy R, Tapsell L, Batterham M, Vari L. A volunteer feeding assistance program can improve dietary intakes of elderly patients--a pilot study. Appetite. 2008 Sep;51(2):244-8. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2008.02.012. Epub 2008 Feb 17.

  PMID: 18387692 BACKGROUND

Related Links

• Time to Eat Toolkit. Retrieved from Alberta Health Services
• Integrated Nutrition Pathway for Acute Care (INPAC) Implementation Toolkit
• Assessment: SGA
• Food Monitoring Tools
• Sample size calculation tool
• Tackling Malnutrition Resource

Study Officials

• Latifa Ahmadi, PhD

  Western University

  STUDY CHAIR

Central Study Contacts

Diala Chayab, MPH, RD

CONTACT

9056323737; dchayab@josephbranthospital.ca

Ahmadi, PhD

CONTACT

519-432-8353; lahmadi@uwo.ca

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NON RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Clinical Dietitian

Model Details: The investigators will be evaluating patients' nutritional outcomes in units that have the Eating Matters Program available vs. similar units that do not have this program. Therefore, there will be two groups, Study Group A and Control Group B.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 15, 2020
• First Posted: June 24, 2020
• Study Start: June 20, 2024
• Primary Completion: September 30, 2025
• Study Completion: October 30, 2025
• Last Updated: August 27, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, CSR
• Time Frame: IPD and any additional supporting information will become available starting 6months post-study publications for a period of 2-5 years.
• Access Criteria: IPD can only be shared upon request from a regulator, an ethics committee board or by a healthcare professional for future research purposes. The study sponsor and principal investigator will be responsible to review requests in accordance with local regulations and institutional policies.

Locations

CA (1)