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The Food Network Effect

NCT07618559 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 150

Last updated 2026-06-01

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if exposure to food related visual stimuli during the postoperative period can improve gastrointestinal recovery after abdominal surgery in adult patients.The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. Does structured exposure to food related television programming shorten the time to return of bowel function after surgery?
2. Does exposure to food related visual stimuli reduce postoperative ileus and improve recovery related outcomes such as hospital length of stay, appetite, patient satisfaction, and medication use?

Researchers will compare patients receiving structured food related programming during meal periods with patients receiving standard postoperative care to see if food related visual stimulation improves postoperative gastrointestinal recovery.

Participants will:

* Be randomly assigned to either a food-programming group or a standard care group
* Watch food-related television programming for at least 15 minutes during scheduled meal-time periods if assigned to the intervention group
* Have daily collection of routine postoperative information, including bowel function, medication use, and diet progression
* Complete brief optional questions regarding appetite and satisfaction during hospitalization

Conditions

  • Post Operative Patients

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Food Related Visual Stimuli Exposure

This intervention consists of a structured, non-pharmacologic behavioral exposure to food related visual stimuli delivered during predefined peri-meal periods throughout the postoperative hospitalization. Participants will view food centered television programming (e.g., cooking, baking, or food preparation shows) for a minimum of 15 minutes during each designated meal window: breakfast (7:00-9:00 AM), lunch (12:00-2:00 PM), and dinner (5:00-7:00 PM). Unlike standard television viewing or unrestricted media use, the intervention uses scheduled exposure to food-specific visual content intended to provide cephalic phase sensory stimulation during times corresponding with routine eating periods. The intervention is delivered using existing hospital television resources and does not involve medications, dietary modification, invasive procedures, or additional medical devices. Adherence will be assessed through participant self-report and periodic study team monitoring.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Prisma Health-Midlands

    collaborator OTHER

  • Casey Morehouse, DO

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-07-01
Primary Completion
2028-07-01
Completion
2028-09-01

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07618559 on ClinicalTrials.gov