Comparing Approaches to Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Intake and Their Influence on Metabolic Health

Summary

This experimental study aims to evaluate the effects of different strategies for increasing fruit and vegetable intake and to see how these interventions influence markers of health in people aged 18-65 who currently consume fewer than 2 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. How does 5-a-day advice, with and without the inclusion of fruit juice, impact fruit and vegetable intake over a four-week period?
2. What are the acceptability and perceived ease of increasing fruit and vegetable intake with and without the inclusion of fruit juice in 5-a-day recommendations?
3. What are the effects of increasing fruit and vegetable intake with and without fruit juice on markers of metabolic health?

Researchers will answer these questions by comparing results from three groups of participants. All participants will provide a pre- and post-intervention blood sample, complete various questionnaires, and follow a four-week intervention that comprises educational material and a weekly £10 voucher. Over the course of the four weeks, they will report what they ate in a day on four different days.

The groups differ in the educational materials provided and where they can spend their voucher:

* Group 1 (Control) - information on the importance of including an experimental control in research and a weekly voucher to spend at a retailer of their choice,
* Group 2 (F\&V) - information on 5-a-day advice (excluding fruit juice) and a weekly voucher to spend in a supermarket on F\&V, and
* Group 3 (F\&V + Juice) - information on 5-a-day advice (including fruit juice) and a weekly voucher to spend in a supermarket on F\&V.

Conditions

• Metabolic Health
• Fruit and Vegetable Intake

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Educational information (Control)

Information packs will be developed for participants outlining the importance of a control group in research studies to maximise compliance. Participants will receive a £10 gift voucher weekly that they can spend at selected retailers of their choosing.

BEHAVIORAL

Educational information (Increasing F&V intake)

Information packs will be developed to support participants in increasing their intake of whole fruits and vegetables, excluding fruit juice. The information packs will be developed using published guidance from the UK government, expert panels, and regulatory bodies. The packs will be co-developed with the public to ensure the guidance is appropriate for its target audience. Participants will also receive a £10 supermarket voucher weekly to purchase fruit and vegetables.

BEHAVIORAL

Educational information (Increasing F&V intake + Juice)

Information packs will be developed to support participants in increasing their intake of whole fruits and vegetables, including fruit juice. The information packs will be developed using published guidance from the UK government, expert panels, and regulatory bodies. The packs will be co-developed with the public to ensure the guidance is appropriate for its target audience. Participants will also receive a £10 supermarket voucher weekly to purchase fruit and vegetables.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Newcastle University

  collaborator OTHER

• European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN)

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Courtney Neal

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Oliver M Shannon, PhD · Newcastle University

• Anthony Watson, PhD · Newcastle University

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-10-23

Primary Completion

2025-03-21

Completion

2025-09-05

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations