Nutrition Apps in Occupational Healthcare (Pilot Study of the FOODNUTRI Project)

The aim of this study is to investigate (1) the user experiences and usability of the nutrition apps (the Finnish Nutrition Navigator and the Finnish Nutrition Path) in occupational health care from the perspective of both professionals and customers, (2) the impact on diet, eating behavior, perceived well-being (perceived state of health, quality of life, work and functional ability) and anthropometric indicators compared to treatment as usual, and (3) cost-effectiveness of using the nutrition apps.

Study Overview

• Status: Enrolling by invitation
• Conditions: Cardiovascular Diseases; Hypertension; Occupational Diseases; Dyslipidemias; Overweight and Obesity; Diet, Healthy; Diet Habit; Food Selection; Diabete Type 2
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Utilization of the Finnish Nutrition Navigator and the Finnish Nutrition Path

Detailed Description

For the occupational healthcare customer, the study will include two visits to the occupational healthcare: at baseline and after a 12-week follow-up. First, all volunteer participants enrolled in the study will belong to the control group and they will get the treatment as usual. Their weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure are measured at the visit and they are asked to answer a digital research questionnaire at both baseline and follow-up.

The rest of the volunteer participants enrolled in the study will belong to the intervention group. Before the visit at the occupational healthcare, they are asked to fill in the Finnish Nutrition Navigator and to read the automated feedback about the diet quality. The Finnish Nutrition Path can help in the dietary goal setting and it can be utilized together with the professional or independently. In addition, also weight, waist circumference, and blood pressure are measured at the visit and the participant is asked to answer a digital research questionnaire. The same procedure is done at both baseline and follow-up.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 204
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Finland
  • Kuopio, Finland, 70211
    • University of Eastern Finland

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

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

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Employee of the certain employer
• Coming to the medical examination for employees whose work presents a special risk of illnessa OR coming to the dietitian because of dyslipidemia, high blood pressure, weight loss, weight management, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease
• Understands written Finnish

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• Eating disorder
• Severe challenges with diet (e.g., malabsorption, very restrictive diet due to several food allergies or other reasons)

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
No Intervention: Control; Treatment as usual in the occupational healthcare.
Experimental: Intervention; Utilization of the nutrition apps in the occupational healthcare.	Other: Utilization of the Finnish Nutrition Navigator and the Finnish Nutrition Path; Participant fills in the food intake questionnaire of the Finnish Nutrition Navigator and receives an automated feedback on the diet before the visit to the occupational healthcare. At the visit, the information about the quality of diet can be utilized with the occupational healthcare professional. The client can utilize the self-care path (the Finnish Nutrition Path) for possible dietary changes independently or with the professional.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in diet quality	Healthy Diet Index (HDI) total score (range 0 - 100) and the seven sub scores: Meal pattern (range 0 - 10), Grains (range 0 - 20), Fruit and vegetables (range 0 - 20), Fats (range 0 - 15), Fish and meat (range 0 - 10), Dairy (range 0 - 10), and Snacks and treats (range 0 - 15). Higher scores mean better diet quality.	12 weeks
User experiences of the apps	Self-created questions.	Baseline and follow-up (12 weeks)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in weight	Measured weight in kilograms.	12 weeks
Change in BMI	Measured weight and self-reported height will be combined to report BMI in kg/m^2.	12 weeks
Change in waist circumference	Measured waist circumference in centimeters.	12 weeks
Change in blood pressure	Measured systolic and diastolic blood pressures in mmHg.	12 weeks
Change in eating behavior	Questionnaire ecSatter Inventory 2.0TM, ecSI 2.0TM: Total score range 0 - 48 and the four subscales: Eating Attitudes (range 0 - 18), Contextual Skills (range 0 - 15), Food Acceptance (range 0 - 9), and Internal Regulation (range 0 - 6). Higher scores mean better eating competence.	12 weeks
Change in other lifestyle factors	Questionnaire: short questions about physical activity, sleep, and smoking.	12 weeks
Measures related to the general effectiveness	Questionnaire: questions about perceived health and well-being, quality of life, work productivity and activity impairment, consumer health activation, and life satisfaction.	12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Eastern Finland
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Marjukka Kolehmainen, Prof., University of Eastern Finland

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 11, 2025
• Primary Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2025
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 24, 2025
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 10, 2025
• First Posted (Actual): April 11, 2025

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 17, 2025
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 16, 2025
• Last Verified: April 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Endocrine System Diseases; Nutrition Disorders; Metabolic Diseases; Overnutrition; Body Weight; Glucose Metabolism Disorders; Diabetes Mellitus; Lipid Metabolism Disorders; Overweight; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Cardiovascular Diseases; Dyslipidemias; Occupational Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 262/2024

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No