Evaluating the Impact of the Eating Matters Program on the Nutritional Status of Medical Rehab Patients at Joseph Brant Hospital (JBH)

August 26, 2025 updated by: Diala Chayab, Joseph Brant Hospital

Evaluating the Impact of a Volunteer Based Mealtime Assistance Program on the Nutritional Status of Patients at Joseph Brant Hospital in Ontario, Canada

This research study will determine the impact of the Eating Matters Program on the nutritional status of elderly patients at Joseph Brant Hospital. The Eating Matters Program at Joseph Brant Hospital is a volunteer-based feeding assistance program that aims to improve patients' nutritional intake by providing assistance during mealtimes. As research on the impact of such programs on food intake is limited in Canada, this study will explore how the Eating Matters Program influences protein and energy intake of patients at Joseph Brant Hospital. Further, this study will explore if the hypothesized increase in protein and energy intake with the initiation of the Eating Matters Program is correlated with a decreased risk of malnutrition.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

We will be conducting a prospective open-label non-randomized controlled trial to evaluate patients' nutritional outcomes in units that have the Eating Matters Program available (Study Group A) vs. similar units that do not have this program (Control Group B), as this can provide useful data on the effectiveness of such programs in developing innovative prevention strategies to address hospital malnutrition.

A total sample size of eighty participants (40 in each group) will be included in this study from Medical and Rehabilitation units at Joseph Brant Hospital. Study group A will include patients from the medical unit on 6S100 in addition to the Rehab units on 6N400/500. Control Group B will include participants from the Rehab Unit on 4N400 and the Medical unit on 6S200. Baseline food intake data (including breakfast, lunch and dinner) will be gathered during a 2-day period for both Study Group A and Control Group B. Following the collection of baseline data, feeding assistance will then be provided to participants in the units that have the EMP program available (6S100 and 6N400/500). In addition, food intake will be recorded for a total of 6 days for both Study Group A, and Control Group B. Outcome measures including C-reactive protein and weight will be measured weekly. Following, a Subjective Global Assessment (SGA) will be completed and Hand Grip Strength will be recorded on days 1 and 18 as the literature shows that this is an appropriate timeframe to reassess these measures (Flood et al., 2014; Canadian Malnutrition Task Force, 2019). Energy and protein intake will then be calculated using visual estimation by completion of the My Meal Intake Tool, and the hospital's CBORD software. Further, to evaluate the success of the feeding assistance program, volunteers will distribute the feedback survey to patients, staff, family members or friends of participants. To prevent contamination from staff working on both sides, members of the research team will have a discussion with staff to explain that the study and potential benefits should not be discussed, as this may impact the research findings.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

80

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Ahmadi, PhD
  • Phone Number: 28068 519-432-8353
  • Email: lahmadi@uwo.ca

Study Locations

  • Canada
    • Ontario
      • Burlington, Ontario, Canada, L7S 0A2

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

65 years and older (Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients 65 years and over admitted to Medicine and Rehabilitation units at Joseph Brant Hospital with an anticipated stay 10-14 days
  • Patients with a Subjective Global Assessment score of B or C, and identified to require eating assistance
  • Patients able to provide consent or have a Power of Attorney to do so on their behalf

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients that are NPO status (nothing by mouth)
  • Patients that require enteral or total parenteral feeding
  • Palliative care patients
  • Severe cognitive impairment

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Study Group A
Study group A will include patients from the medical unit on 6S100 in addition to the Rehab units on 6N400/500. Participants in Study Group A will be receiving mealtime assistance from volunteers via the Eating Matters Program.
Behavioral: Feeding Assistance
Patients will be receiving assistance during mealtimes. This includes assistance by opening packages, listing/explaining the food products on the tray, providing encouragement and companionship during mealtimes and directly feed patients.
No Intervention: Control Group B
Control Group B will include participants from the Rehab Unit on 4N400 and the Medical unit on 6S200.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dietary Intake
Time Frame: To assess a change from baseline to energy and protein intake post program initiation at the one and two week mark (+/-2days).
Protein and Energy Intake
To assess a change from baseline to energy and protein intake post program initiation at the one and two week mark (+/-2days).

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Percent weight change
Time Frame: A change from baseline body weight at 1 week and 2 weeks marks (+/-2) days post the initiation of the Eating Matters Program (EMP).
Participants' weight will be measured.
A change from baseline body weight at 1 week and 2 weeks marks (+/-2) days post the initiation of the Eating Matters Program (EMP).
Handgrip strength
Time Frame: A change from baselines in handgrip measure at 1 and 2 weeks marks (+/-2 days) post the initiation of EMP.
Handgrip strength measured using hand dynamometers.
A change from baselines in handgrip measure at 1 and 2 weeks marks (+/-2 days) post the initiation of EMP.
C-Reactive Protein
Time Frame: A change from baselines CRP at 1 week and 2 weeks marks (+/-2 days) post the initiation of EMP.
C-Reactive Protein will be measured via routine lab work.
A change from baselines CRP at 1 week and 2 weeks marks (+/-2 days) post the initiation of EMP.
Eating Matters Program Feedback
Time Frame: This will be measured on day 19 (+/-2 days) (total study period for each participant).
Perceptions of program implementation and Barriers to food intake will be evaluated via feedback forms.
This will be measured on day 19 (+/-2 days) (total study period for each participant).
Length of stay
Time Frame: This data will be gathered on day 120 (+/-2days), upon completion of the study.
Unit Specific Measure
This data will be gathered on day 120 (+/-2days), upon completion of the study.
Mortality rate
Time Frame: This data will be gathered on day 120 (+/- 2days), upon completion of the study.
Unit Specific Measure
This data will be gathered on day 120 (+/- 2days), upon completion of the study.
Re-admission rate
Time Frame: This data will be gathered on day 120 (+/- 2 days), upon completion of the study.
Unit Specific Measure
This data will be gathered on day 120 (+/- 2 days), upon completion of the study.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Joseph Brant Hospital

Collaborators

Western University

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Latifa Ahmadi, PhD, Western University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 20, 2024

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 30, 2025

Study Completion (Estimated)

October 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

May 15, 2020

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

June 23, 2020

First Posted (Actual)

June 24, 2020

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimated)

August 27, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 26, 2025

Last Verified

August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Other Study ID Numbers

  • JosephBrantH

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

YES

IPD Plan Description

The sponsor will comply with data sharing processes according to local laws and regulations. Aggregate study results will be reported on clinicaltrials.gov. Anonymized study IPD can only be shared upon request from a regulator, an ethics committee board or by a healthcare professional for future research purposes.

IPD Sharing Time Frame

IPD and any additional supporting information will become available starting 6months post-study publications for a period of 2-5 years.

IPD Sharing Access Criteria

IPD can only be shared upon request from a regulator, an ethics committee board or by a healthcare professional for future research purposes. The study sponsor and principal investigator will be responsible to review requests in accordance with local regulations and institutional policies.

IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type

  • STUDY_PROTOCOL
  • SAP
  • ICF
  • CSR

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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