RightFit
RecruitingNot applicable

Cooking Health-Oriented Meals to Prevent Dementia and Diabetes

Who can join

As published by the study on ClinicalTrials.gov. "Not stated" means the study hasn't said — ask the study team.

Age
50 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All sexes
Healthy volunteers
Accepted
Compensation
Not stated

Other requirements are listed under Eligibility below. Only the study team can confirm whether you can join.

What to expect

No one can promise a trial will help you personally — that is what the research is trying to find out.

What participation involves

Not stated in the study description — ask the study team about visits and procedures.

Compensation
Not stated
  • Study-related exams and procedures are typically provided at no cost. This is how many trials work in general — confirm the details for this study with the study team.
  • Participants are monitored closely by the research team throughout the study.
  • Some participants may receive access to an investigational treatment, which is still being studied.
  • Your participation helps researchers learn whether this approach could help future patients.

About this study

In plain language

This study tests a program to help people feel more able to cook and eat healthy meals. It is for adults ages 50 to 75 who have a score of 5 or higher on a diabetes risk test and a family history of dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Previous research demonstrates that 1) adherence to a DASH dietary pattern and diets low in certain UPFs are linked to lower likelihood of experiencing cognitive impairments in later life, that 2) engagement in cooking is linked to healthier eating, reduced UPF consumption, and higher food self-efficacy, and 3) that cooking activity itself in midlife is associated with reduced incidence of dementia. There may be multiple pathways through which cooking engagement facilitates healthier cognitive aging- including the benefits of healthier meals on cardiometabolic and neural health, but also the role of cooking as a cognitively-engaging activity - one that has been identified as a potential contributor to cognitive reserve during aging. While at least one computerized cognitive training program is based on cooking activities and has demonstrated improvements to untrained EF processes in older adults, no intervention has used actual cooking as a form of cognitive training. Part of the promise of such an intervention is that this sort of activity, while still engaging EF processes in a way that might lead to generalizable improvements, is much closer to real-world instrumental activities of daily living and may reinforce consumption of a brain- and cardiometabolic- health promoting dietary pattern. This pilot study involves a randomized controlled trial of a behavioral change intervention to promote a healthy diet by increasing cooking self-efficacy (agency), and for this study, cooking self-efficacy is the primary focus.

Compensation is read from the study's own description and may be missing — always confirm with the study team.

Eligibility

Who can join

  • Be 50 to 75 years old.
  • Score 5 or higher on the American Diabetes Association (ADA) diabetes risk test.
  • Report a family history of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, which affect memory and thinking.
  • Have an iPhone or Android smartphone.
  • Agree to join the study both out loud and in writing after learning about it.

Who can't join

  • Have food allergies or a health condition that requires a special diet and would limit taking part.

Simplified for readability. The official criteria below are what the study team uses.

Official eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria: * Age: 50 - 75 yrs * Score of 5 or greater on ADA (diabetes) screener * Self-report family history of dementia or AD * Smartphone (iOS or Android) * Verbal and written informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Food allergies or conditions requiring a specialized diet that would limit participation

Study sites (1)

VA