Effects of a Dietary Intervention Based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population on the Reduction of Menopausal Symptoms in Overweight and Obese Women

September 10, 2026 updated by: Profª Drª Fernanda Michielin Busnello, Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre

The menopausal transition is associated with significant hormonal changes that negatively impact many women's quality of life. Vasomotor symptoms, sleep disturbances, mood changes, and genitourinary symptoms are frequently reported during this period. Concurrently, there is a tendency toward increased body weight and fat redistribution, specifically central fat accumulation, which raises the risk of metabolic diseases. Although hormonal therapy is effective, it is not suitable for all women, necessitating the consideration of non-pharmacological strategies as therapeutic alternatives. Scientific evidence indicates that healthy dietary patterns and weight loss are associated with reduced menopausal symptom severity.

The objective of the research is to evaluate the effects of a dietary intervention based on the guidelines of the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population (GAPB) on the reduction of menopausal symptoms.

A randomized clinical trial will be conducted to assess whether improving dietary quality and reducing body weight contribute to alleviating menopausal symptoms. Participants will be assigned to two groups: a control group (CG) and an intervention group (IG). Both groups will receive nutritional guidance based on the GAPB; however, the CG will receive the guidelines in printed format, whereas the IG will receive them through group sessions. The study will include perimenopausal or postmenopausal women who are overweight or obese and experiencing menopausal symptoms. Validated instruments will be administered at the beginning and end of the study to assess dietary patterns, menopausal symptoms, and nutritional status.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

74

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 Locations

  • Brazil
    • Rio Grande do Sul
      • Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 90050170
        • Recruiting
        • Irmandade Da Santa Casa de Misericordia de Porto Alegre
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Aged 40 to 65 years; in the perimenopausal or postmenopausal stage (based on clinical criteria and/or self-report) and exhibiting clinical symptoms characteristic of menopause; diagnosed as overweight or obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m²); having internet access via mobile phone or computer; and agreeing to participate by signing the Informed Consent Form (ICF).

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnant women, women undergoing hormone replacement therapy or taking medications for obesity, diagnosed with active neoplasms undergoing chemotherapy or immunosuppressive treatment, and those with 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: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: Control group (CG)
The control group will receive nutritional guidance on healthy eating based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, provided exclusively as printed material distributed at the start of the study. The guidance will be standardized, with no individual follow-up or in-person meetings.
Other: Nutritional guidelines on healthy eating based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population only in printed material
The control group will receive nutritional guidance on healthy eating based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, provided exclusively as printed material distributed at the start of the study. The guidance will be standardized, with no individual follow-up or in-person meetings.
Active Comparator: Intervention group (IG)
The intervention group will receive nutritional guidance on healthy eating, based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population, provided via printed materials and five monthly in-person sessions.
Other: Nutritional guidelines on healthy eating based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population in printed material and 5 in-person and virtual meetings
The intervention group will participate in five monthly Food and Nutrition Education sessions based on the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population. The first session will be an individual session on nutritional guidance, while the second will be a virtual group session on the NOVA food classification system. The third session will be a virtual group session on nutrition labeling. The fourth session will be a virtual group session on reducing culinary ingredients (salt, sugar, and fat) in food preparation. The fifth session will be an in-person group cooking workshop focused on preparing healthy and practical recipes.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Menopausal Symptoms
Time Frame: From the enrollment period to the end of the study: 5 months.
Baseline and outcome variables will be collected for both groups (control and intervention) prior to the start and at the end of the five-month follow-up period. Menopausal symptom intensity, measured using the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) questionnaire, will be the primary outcome indicator. This instrument assesses 11 symptoms on a scale of 0 to 4, where 0 indicates no complaints, 1 mild, 2 moderate, 3 severe, and 4 very severe, with a maximum possible score of 44 points.
From the enrollment period to the end of the study: 5 months.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Dietary pattern
Time Frame: From the date of enrollment to the end of the intervention: 5 months
Baseline and outcome variables will be collected for both groups (control and intervention) prior to the start and at the end of the five-month follow-up period. Dietary patterns will be assessed using the NOVA 24-Hour Dietary Recall, based on data regarding food intake from the previous day. This tool was developed by the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health (NUPENS) at the University of São Paulo (USP) on the QUEST NOVA platform-available at https://www.fsp.usp.br/nupens/quest-nova/-and classifies foods according to their degree of processing based on the NOVA classification system. The results show total caloric intake categorized into four groups: Group 1 (unprocessed or minimally processed foods), Group 2 (culinary ingredients), Group 3 (processed foods), and Group 4 (ultra-processed foods).
From the date of enrollment to the end of the intervention: 5 months
Body mass index
Time Frame: From the date of enrollment to the end of the intervention: 5 months
Baseline and outcome variables will be collected for both groups (control and intervention) prior to the start and at the end of the five-month follow-up period. The BMI (Body Mass Index) classification is calculated by dividing body weight (kg) by height (m) squared and is used to classify nutritional status according to WHO standards.
From the date of enrollment to the end of the intervention: 5 months
Waist circumference
Time Frame: From the date of enrollment to the end of the intervention: 5 months
Baseline and outcome variables will be collected for both groups (control and intervention) prior to the start and at the end of the five-month follow-up period. Waist circumference will be measured, with the participant standing, at the end of a normal exhalation, with an inelastic and non-extensive anthropometric tape surrounding the abdominal region at the midpoint between the lower edge of the last rib and the iliac crest. Measurements will be taken in duplicate and recorded in centimeters on the data collection form. The average will be used to classify metabolic risk, with a cutoff point of 88 cm for women.
From the date of enrollment to the end of the intervention: 5 months

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre

Collaborators

Irmandade Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Fernanda M Busnello, PhD, Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre

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

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)

May 6, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

July 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 30, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

September 10, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 10, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

September 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

September 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

September 10, 2026

Last Verified

September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • CAAE93638725.5.3001.5345

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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