Exploring the Use of Genetic and Behavioural Data in Tailoring Dietary and Lifestyle Support

Summary

Personalised nutrition approaches typically rely on static information such as health status, lifestyle and genetic data. However, adherence often remains low because daily behaviours are influenced by psychological states, motivation and real-time barriers. There is growing interest in whether integrating behavioural signals and timely prompts could strengthen engagement. The purpose of this study is to explore whether incorporating psychological adaptation and just-in-time behavioural prompts leads to better adherence to a personalised nutrition programme compared with commonly used personalised approach (combining health, lifestyle and genetics data without psycho-behavioural adaptation). Using a six-week n-of-1 randomised trial design implemented across multiple participants, the research will also assess the feasibility of delivering this adaptive support in a free-living environment, as well as participants' engagement, acceptability and perceived usefulness. Following completion of the 6-week intervention, an optional focus group will be conducted with a subset of participants (maximum 8) within four weeks of the final study day. The focus group will last approximately 60-90 minutes and will be conducted in person or via video call. Qualitative data from the focus group will be analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun \& Clarke, 2021). These findings will inform the development of an adaptive personalised nutrition AI agent.

Conditions

• Adherence to a Personalised Nutrition Programme

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Psychology-tailored message

Participants receive the same nutritional and lifestyle content, but daily goals are adapted based on: Stable Traits * Big Five personality * Health locus of control * Optimism bias * Delay discounting * Self-determination * Stress/anxiety baseline * Habit awareness * Values/motivations * Reward preferences Daily State * Morning energy rating (1-5) * Expected barriers * Context (home vs office vs weekend) Communication Preferences * tone (coachy, compassionate, factual, brief) * message length (low/medium/high) * mode (text, voice, image) Environmental and Social Context (e.g., Friday office snacks, partner-driven late dinners) Daily personalisation influences: * difficulty level of the daily goal * specific behaviour change technique (BCT) chosen (e.g., action planning vs implementation intention vs coping planning) * tone, structure and timing of the message * reinforcement style The nutrition content remains identical; only HOW it is delivered changes.

BEHAVIORAL

Neutral message

Participants receive: * One fixed daily behaviour goal, aligned with the weekly pillar * Personalised only according to diet, lifestyle, health status and genetics * Delivered at a pre-selected time chosen by the participant (e.g., 8:30-10:00) No adaptation is made based on: * psychological traits * daily mood/energy * anticipated or reported barriers * communication preferences (tone, length, mode) This reflects current "gold standard" personalised nutrition: personalised by biology and lifestyle, but not by psychology or dynamic states.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Optimyse Nutrition LTD

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Alexandra King

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

45 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-02-13

Primary Completion

2026-07-31

Completion

2026-07-31

Countries

• United Kingdom

Study Locations