Live Long, Heart Strong: A Digital Nutrition Intervention for Emerging Adults

Summary

Live Long, Heart Strong (LLHS) is a theory-guided, digital twin-supported nutrition intervention designed to promote cardiovascular health behaviors among emerging adults (18-25 years). Developed using a human-centered design approach and informed by Social Cognitive Theory, the intervention incorporates personalized nutrition education, interactive learning activities, goal setting, self-monitoring, quizzes, youth-informed educational videos, tailored feedback, reminders, and gamification to support healthy eating behaviors and improve dietary quality.

In this pilot randomized controlled trial, participants will be randomly assigned to either the LLHS intervention or an active comparator consisting of a static, non-personalized digital nutrition education toolkit containing similar evidence-based educational content without personalization, interactivity, or behavioral support features. The study will evaluate implementation outcomes (feasibility, usability, acceptability, and appropriateness), changes in psychosocial and behavioral outcomes related to healthy eating, and preliminary cardiovascular-related health indicators. Findings will inform continued refinement of the LLHS intervention and the design of a future fully powered efficacy trial.

Conditions

• Eating Behavior Changes

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Live Long, Heart Strong (LLHS) Digital Nutrition Intervention

The Live Long, Heart Strong (LLHS) Digital Nutrition Intervention is a theory-guided behavioral intervention developed using a human-centered design approach and informed by Social Cognitive Theory. The intervention is designed to promote healthy eating behaviors for cardiovascular disease prevention among emerging adults through a personalized digital platform. Participants receive tailored nutrition education, interactive learning activities, goal setting, self-monitoring, quizzes, youth-informed educational videos, tailored feedback, reminders, and gamification. Intervention content focuses on developing knowledge, behavioral capability, self-efficacy, observational learning, outcome expectations, and self-regulation to support sustainable dietary behavior change.

BEHAVIORAL

Static Digital Nutrition Education Toolkit

The Static Digital Nutrition Education Toolkit is an active comparator consisting of evidence-based digital educational materials related to healthy eating and cardiovascular disease prevention. Participants receive the same general educational topics as the experimental group through a static, non-personalized digital format. The toolkit does not include interactive activities, personalization, tailored feedback, goal setting, self-monitoring, reminders, or gamification.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Texas A&M University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2027-01-31

Primary Completion

2027-05-31

Completion

2027-06-30