Designing a Mixed-initiative Recipe Recommender App for Vegan and Vegetarian Sub-groups

NCT05882955 | Enrolling By Invitation DMC

• 1 other identifier: G-2021-4203-R5(AMD)
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 52
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this study is to test the usability and applicability of a mobile application which recommends recipes. We will recruit up to 52 vegan/vegetarian participants in Belgium, and provide them with an iDOO hydroponic plant growing unit (https://www.idooworld.com/products/idoo-20pods-indoor-herb-garden-kit-hydroponics-growing-system-with-led-grow-light) as well as seeds and plant nutrients to grow certain herbs at home. Over a period of 17 weeks, participants will be asked to consume plants from the unit by following the recipes recommended by the app. The participants will then observe changes in their iron and vitamin B12 levels by following up with their GP and report the outcomes back to the researchers at three points during the study (week 0, week 6, and week 17). In addition, the participants will evaluate the usability of the app and the recipes recommended by the app.

Conditions

Mobile Applications

Keywords

app usage; recipe recommender acceptance

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in serum ferritin after the dietary app intervention

  Comparison of serum ferritin at baseline and after the intervention

  Week: 0, 6/7 and 17

• Change of serum B12 after the hydroponic unit intervention

  Comparison of serum B12 at baseline and after the intervention

  Week: 6/7 and 17

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• App usability rating

  Week: 6/7 and 17

• Score on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology questionnaire

  Week: 6/7 and 17

• Recipe recommendation performance

  Week: 17

Study Arms (4)

Dietary app 1

EXPERIMENTAL

Dietary app recommends high iron or iron focused recipes

Behavioral: Recipes consumption; Behavioral: Hydroponic unit

Dietary app 2

SHAM COMPARATOR

Dietary app recommends standard iron recipes

Behavioral: Recipes consumption; Behavioral: Hydroponic unit

Hydroponic unit 1

EXPERIMENTAL

Growing vitamin B12 biofortified plants in a hydroponic unit

Behavioral: Recipes consumption; Behavioral: Hydroponic unit

Hydroponic unit 2

NO INTERVENTION

No hydroponic unit given to participants

Interventions

Recipes consumption BEHAVIORAL

Participants will eat one or two recipes a day for 17 weeks

Dietary app 1; Dietary app 2; Hydroponic unit 1

Hydroponic unit BEHAVIORAL

Participants will grow vitamin B12 biofortified plants for 17 weeks and consume (10 grams) of plant material for 11 weeks.

Dietary app 1; Dietary app 2; Hydroponic unit 1

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 50 Years
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Healthy menstruating female with regular menstruation cycle over 18 years old.
• Has been vegan, vegetarian or other diets that do not include the consumption of meat and fish for at least 1 year.
• Willing to remain on a plant-based diet for the duration of the study.
• Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 - 40 kg/m2.
• Lives in Belgium.
• Willing to maintain a hydroponic unit at home and consume plants grown in the hydroponic unit (e.g., parsley, rocket, mizuna).
• Access to a smartphone or online platform as well as access to the internet.

You may not qualify if:

• Those who have known allergies to the hydroponically grown salad greens (parsley, rocket, mizuna).
• Pescatarian (consumes fish and seafood) and flexitarian (consumes meat intermittently) vegetarian.
• Those with abnormal menstruation cycle time periods, \<21 and \>40-day
• BMI \< 18.5 kg/m2 (underweight) and \> 40 kg/m2 (severely obese).
• Those diagnosed or undergoing treatment for anaemia.
• Currently pregnant or lactating.
• Diagnosed medical conditions that may impact the study outcomes will be considered on an individual basis.
• On a, or about to start, a diet programme such as the 5:2 programme (5:2 programme is where an individual would eat normally for five days a week, and fast for two days a week by reducing calorie consumption).
• Unable to give written or verbal informed consent.
• Participating in another dietary intervention study nor given blood in another dietary study in the last 3 months.
• Any person related to or living with any member of the study team.
• Those who are part of the Line Manager/supervisory structure of the Chief Investigator.
• Those who have been asked to self-isolate or have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in the last 14 days. However, participants can be rescreened 7 days after the isolation period.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universitaire Ziekenhuizen KU Leuven: lead

Study Sites (1)

Departement Computerwetenschappen

Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, 3001, Belgium

Location

Study Officials

• Katrien Verbert

  KU Leuven

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: BASIC SCIENCE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 12, 2023
• First Posted: May 31, 2023
• Study Start: December 1, 2022
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2024
• Study Completion: December 31, 2024
• Last Updated: June 26, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

BE (1)