Trout Consumption in Young Children and Families and Brain Health

Increasing Trout Consumption in Young Children and Families for Cognitive and Mental Health Benefit

Regular fish consumption may support brain health. Trout lines developed in Idaho contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients important for human cognition and mental wellbeing. Developed to support aquaculture sustainability, consumer preferences and human health benefits of these fish are unknown. The long-term goal of this project is to utilize nutrition education strategies to increase adult and child consumption of fish to improve brain health as measured by cognitive and emotional wellbeing. Research objectives and activities include, (1) adult and child consumer panels to provide sensory evaluation on three strains of trout, (2) effects of repeated exposure (RE) and child-centered nutrition phrases (CCNP) on eating behaviors and brain health will be determined using one control and two treatment groups of children in childcare settings, (3) effects of nutrition education, incorporating CCNP and fish preparation techniques, and RE targeting family meals on eating behaviors of children and brain health of adults and children will be determined using four treatment groups in the home setting.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Cognitive Change; Well-Being, Psychological
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Trout; Other: Child-centered nutrition phrases; Other: Puzzle

Detailed Description

Regular fish consumption may support brain health. Trout lines developed in Idaho contain higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, nutrients important for human cognition and mental wellbeing. Developed to support aquaculture sustainability, consumer preferences and human health benefits of these fish are unknown. The long-term goal of this integrated project is to utilize nutrition education strategies to increase adult and child consumption of fish to improve brain health as measured by cognitive and emotional wellbeing. The long-term impact of this project addresses the key knowledge gap in understanding strategies to increase fish consumption in children and adults, which has the positive implication to improve adult and child cognitive and emotional wellbeing. As knowledge of the health benefits of foods such as fish, may not result in increased consumption, this study can provide evidence of repeated exposure and applied educational tools to facilitate consumption by children and adults. Results from this study will fill the gap to provide greater knowledge of cognitive and emotional wellbeing health benefits of fish consumption and strategies for increasing adult and children's fish consumption. A greater intake of fish not only has the potential to contribute to improved population health outcomes, but also has a probable role in sustainability of US agriculture and food systems through promotion of this cost effective source of protein. In addition, better understanding the sensory perceptions of consumers in relation to fish with varied diets is an important step in identifying additional strategies to grow the aquaculture industry. The specific lines of trout being developed at the Hagerman facility do have a focus on sustainability through feeding plant-based diets rather than the traditional fish meal diet, which is less sustainable and more taxing on the aquaculture industry. Having the data on consumer acceptance, and evidence to support nutrition education strategies to increase liking, and consumption of these lines of trout will contribute to the overall sustainability goals.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 99
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Annie J Roe, PhD; Phone Number: 208-885-1709; Email: aroe@uidaho.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Matt Powell, PhD; Phone Number: 208-837-9096; Email: mpowell@uidaho.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Idaho
    • Moscow, Idaho, United States, 83843
      • Recruiting
      • University of Idaho
      • Contact: Annie Roe, PhD; Phone Number: 208-885-1709; Email: aroe@uidaho.edu
      • Contact: Jenna Gardiner, BS; Email: jgardiner@uidaho.edu
  • Washington
    • Pullman, Washington, United States, 99164
      • Recruiting
      • Washington State University
      • Contact: Carolyn Ross, PhD; Email: cfross@wsu.edu

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Objective 1: Children 3-6 years of age, adults age 18+, English speaking
• Objective 2: Children 4-6 years of age, English speaking
• Objective 3: Children 4-9 years of age AND parent/guardian, English or Spanish speaking, access to internet, currently eat fish less than twice per week

Exclusion Criteria:

• allergy or dietary restriction preventing consuming fish

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

8

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Objective 1: Sensory Evaluation; three different strains of trout (fish-meal diet, CX line, CLX line)	Other: Trout; rainbow trout
Experimental: Objective 2: Repeated Exposure; 2 oz of trout each week for 10 weeks	Other: Trout; rainbow trout
Experimental: Objective 2: Repeated Exposure Plus Child-Centered Nutrition Phrases; 2 oz of trout each week plus exposure to positive nutrition message about trout each week for 10 weeks	Other: Trout; rainbow trout; Other: Child-centered nutrition phrases; learn the phrase, "trout helps your brain so you can learn and play" either through researcher introduction or completing the "About Trout! Pond to Plate" curriculum
Placebo Comparator: Objective 2: Puzzle Game; Exposure to a puzzle game each week for 10 weeks	Other: Puzzle; presented with a puzzle to solve each week
No Intervention: Objective 3: Eat Smart Idaho; Only receive Eat Smart Idaho's standard 6-lesson in-person series of classes
Experimental: Objective 3: Child-Centered Nutrition Phrases; Receive Eat Smart Idaho's standard 6-lesson in-person series of classes AND asked to view an online trout-specific nutrition education and recipe preparation video series, "About Trout! Pond to Plate."	Other: Child-centered nutrition phrases; learn the phrase, "trout helps your brain so you can learn and play" either through researcher introduction or completing the "About Trout! Pond to Plate" curriculum
Experimental: Objective 3: Repeated Exposure; Receive Eat Smart Idaho's standard 6-lesson in-person series of classes AND receive 2 servings of trout per week for 12 weeks, to prepare at home and consume (2 oz. serving for child and 4 oz. serving for adult).	Other: Trout; rainbow trout
Experimental: Objective 3: Repeated Exposure Plus Child Centered Nutrition Phrases; Receive Eat Smart Idaho's standard 6-lesson in-person series of classes, AND receive 2 servings of trout per week for 12 weeks, to prepare at home and consume (2 oz. serving for child and 4 oz. serving for adult), AND asked to view an online trout-specific nutrition education and recipe preparation video series, "About Trout! Pond to Plate."	Other: Trout; rainbow trout; Other: Child-centered nutrition phrases; learn the phrase, "trout helps your brain so you can learn and play" either through researcher introduction or completing the "About Trout! Pond to Plate" curriculum

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in liking from baseline to 12-weeks	subjects rate their liking of trout on a 3-point scale (yummy, just okay, yucky)	Change from baseline liking at 12-weeks
Change in intake from baseline to 12-weeks	Subjects are offered 2oz of trout each week for 12 weeks. Trout servings are weighed pre/post consumption as a proxy of intake.	Change from baseline intake at 12-weeks
Change in cognition composite score from baseline to 12-weeks	Subjects complete a battery of computerized cognitive assessments at baseline and 12-weeks, using the NIHToolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function application. Early childhood cognition composite score is derived from scores on tthe Dimensional Change Card Sort, Flanker, Picture Sequence Memory, Picture Vocabulary, and Speeded Matching tests.	Change from baseline cognition composite score at 12-weeks
Change in emotion score from baseline to 12-weeks	Subjects complete a battery of computerized self-reported or parent proxy questionnaires using the NIHToolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function.	Change from baseline emotion score at 12-weeks
Difference in liking among three trout strains	subjects rate their liking of three different trout strains	measured 1 time upon enrollment

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in fluid cognition composite score from baseline to 12-weeks	Subjects complete a battery of computerized cognitive assessments at baseline and 12-weeks, using the NIHToolbox for Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function application. Fluid cognition composite score is derived from scores on the dimensional change card sort, flanker, picture sequence memory, list sorting, and pattern comparison tests.	Change from baseline cognition composite score at 12-weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Idaho
• Collaborators: Washington State University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Annie J Roe, PhD, University of Idaho

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 13, 2024
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 3, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 3, 2024
• First Posted (Estimated): December 6, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 6, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 3, 2024
• Last Verified: December 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Children; Cognition; Emotional well-being; Sensory evaluation; Trout; Child-Centered Nutrition Phrases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 23-033

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Persons requesting the data will be required to obtain and share IRB approval and to sign a data sharing agreement. Data will be made available one year after the primary manuscripts detailing the major outcomes of the study are published.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No