Digital Nutrition Intervention for Older Adults

Summary

The "digital divide" or gap in technological access and knowledge, for older adults has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to disruptions in services like congregate meal programs funded by the Older Americans Act. Seven San Antonio congregate meal sites remained partially open biweekly to distribute meals but no longer offer in-person nutrition education, physical activity classes, and social activities. The proposed project will test the efficacy of digital nutrition intervention with at-risk older adults who attend congregate meal center in areas of high poverty and digital exclusion.

The study is uses a stepped-wedge cluster clinical trial. Key community partners with the Department of Health Services Senior Services Division and Older Adult Technology Services (OATS) will participate in the planning phase, research design, and implementation of the study.

The study aims are:

1. To test the impact of a technology-based intervention on the primary outcomes of food security and diet quality;
2. To determine the effect of the intervention on secondary outcomes of technology knowledge and usage, physical activity, and social isolation and loneliness;
3. To examine the long-term impact and sustainability of technology use on food security, diet quality, physical activity, and social isolation.

If successful, the impact of this program could be applied throughout the national OATS network and to similar CMPs to bridge the digital divide beyond the COVID-19 pandemic

Conditions

• Nutrition Poor
• Physical Inactivity
• Social Isolation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Technology intervention

Older Adult Technology Services (OATS) 5-week technology intervention

BEHAVIORAL

Digital Nutrition Intervention

15-week nutrition intervention delivered completely online

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

  collaborator NIH

• Older Adult Technology Services

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• City of San Antonio Department of Human Services

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Agile Analytics, LLC

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• The University of Texas at San Antonio

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Sarah L Ullevig, PhD · University of Texas at San Antonio

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Max Age

120 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-06-01

Primary Completion

2024-09-30

Completion

2026-01-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations