Understanding the Impact of Physical Activity Calorie Equivalent (PACE) Labelling in Secondary Schools

NCT05623618 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: 7011
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 8,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The aim is to undertake a cluster randomised controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of PACE food labelling in reducing young people's purchasing of discretionary foods in secondary school canteens. Physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) food labelling aims to show the number of minutes or miles/kilometres of physical activity equivalent to the calories contained in food/drinks.

Conditions

Eating Behaviour of Discretionary Foods

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in number of daily purchases/units sold of the specified discretionary food(s) in secondary school canteens.

  Baseline period (a minimum of 4 weeks), Intervention period (up to 6 weeks) and Washout period (up to 6 weeks, and if time allows)

Study Arms (2)

Intervention (PACE labelling)

EXPERIMENTAL

PACE labelling implemented near at least one discretionary food item in secondary school canteens for up to 6 weeks.

Behavioral: PACE labelling

Control (usual practice)

NO INTERVENTION

PACE labelling not implemented. Secondary schools continue with their usual practice.

Interventions

PACE labelling BEHAVIORAL

PACE labelling implemented near at least one discretionary food item in secondary school canteens for up to 6 weeks.

Intervention (PACE labelling)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 10 Years - 19 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Secondary schools that admit young people aged between 10 to 19 years.
• Sell at least one type of cake and/or at least one type of sweet biscuit for at least 2 days per week up to a 6 week period (or equivalent), and have sold the same cake(s)/biscuit(s) before the study (for a minimum of 4 weeks).
• Able to provide to the researcher with anonymised purchase data for study periods. Data to include number of units sold and dates sold of the chosen food item(s).
• A PACE label could feasibly be placed near to the study elected food item(s) in a school canteen used by students.
• Not participating in any other school trials or initiatives.

You may not qualify if:

• Secondary schools that admit young people below the age of 10 years or above the age of 19 years.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Loughborough University: lead
• Natalia Iris: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Loughborough University

Loughborough, United Kingdom

RECRUITING

Related Publications (1)

• Iris N, Munir F, Daley AJ. Physical activity calorie equivalent (PACE) food labelling on discretionary foods in secondary school canteens in England: an efficacy cluster randomised controlled trial. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act. 2025 Feb 26;22(1):24. doi: 10.1186/s12966-025-01710-1.

  PMID: 40011948 DERIVED

Central Study Contacts

Natalia Iris

CONTACT

+44 (0)1509 226372; n.iris@lboro.ac.uk

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 13, 2022
• First Posted: November 21, 2022
• Study Start: February 28, 2022
• Primary Completion: February 1, 2023
• Study Completion: February 1, 2023
• Last Updated: November 21, 2022

Record last verified: 2022-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

GB (1)