Mediterranean diet web site

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Enhancing risk management in the NHS Health Checks programme with web-based advice on the Mediterranean diet - a feasibility study

• IRAS ID

  179575

• Contact name

  Richard Hoffman

• Contact email

  R.Hoffman@herts.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  University of Hertfordshire

• Duration of Study in the UK

  0 years, 6 months, 2 days

• Research summary

  The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a clinically proven and cost-effective intervention to help prevent and manage a range of chronic diseases. The primary aim of this feasibility study is to assess the usability and acceptability of an online web site that offers tailored advice on the MD to participants who have attended an NHS Health Check at a GP practice in Hertfordshire. The secondary aim is to determine if the intervention has improved the participant's perception of their general health and well-being. Once established, the online MD web site will offer a low cost, scaleable resource providing reliable and consistent advice. By comparison, current NHS dietary online advice is quite generalised and one-to-one dietary support with a dietitian is costly.
  Participants will be offered the opportunity to take part in the study at the time of their invitation for a Health Check. Participants agreeing to take part in the study will then be requested to fill in an online questionnaire which includes questions on (1) the patient's perception of their general health and (2) dietary habits. Participants will then be given access to the web site which enables advice on the MD to be tailored to the patient's own circumstances. There will also be the option of requesting individual advice via email. Each participant will complete a two month intervention, and at the end of the study participants will answer a second questionnaire which will include questions on (1) how they found the online intervention (2) the participant's perception of their general health, and (3) their current dietary habits. This research will receive no external funding but will form the basis for an application to NIHR for a full study.

• REC name

  East of England - Cambridge East Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/EE/0490

• Date of REC Opinion

  21 Dec 2016

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion