The NutriAct Family Study: a web-based prospective study on the epidemiological, psychological and sociological basis of food choice

Abstract

BackgroundMost studies on food choice have been focussing on the individual level but familial aspects may also play an important role. This paper reports of a novel study that will focus on the familial aspects of the formation of food choice among men and women aged 50–70 years by recruiting spouses and siblings (NutriAct Family Study; NFS).MethodsData is collected prospectively via repeatedly applied web-based questionnaires over the next years. The recruitment for the NFS started in October 2016. Participants are recruited based on an index person who is actively participating in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Potsdam study. This index person was asked to invite the spouse, a sibling or an in-law. If a set of family members agreed to participate, access to individualized web-based questionnaires assessing dietary intake, other health related lifestyle habits, eating behaviour, food responsiveness, personality, self-regulation, socio-economic status and socio-cultural values was provided. In the first phase of the NSF, recruitment rates were monitored in detail and participants’ comments were analysed in order to improve the feasibility of procedures and instruments.DiscussionUntil August 4th 2017, 4783 EPIC-Participants were contacted by mail of which 446 persons recruited 2 to 5 family members (including themselves) resulting in 1032 participants, of whom 82% had started answering or already completed the questionnaires. Of the 4337 remaining EPIC-participants who had been contacted, 1040 (24%) did not respond at all, and 3297 (76%) responded but declined, in 51% of the cases because of the request to recruit at least 2 family members in the respective age range. The developed recruitment procedures and web-based methods of data collection are capable to generate the required study population including the data on individual and inter-personal determinants which will be linkable to food choice. The information on familial links among the study participants will show the role of familial traits in midlife for the adoption of food choices supporting healthy aging.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-018-5814-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Associations between Taste and Smell Sensitivity, Preference and Quality of Life in Healthy Aging—The NutriAct Family Study Examinations (NFSE) Cohort

“…An eligible sub-sample of the NFS [ 11 ] was invited to participate in the NutriAct Family Study Examinations (NFSE), an on-site study involving a series of physical and cognitive examinations (see Figure 1 , for an overview of the study protocol). Eligibility for invitation required that index persons were at least 50 years old and that at least two family members (e.g., a spouse and a sibling) agreed to participate as well.…”

“…Much less is known about taste and smell function in healthy young and middle old, which were in the focus of the present study. For this, we examined taste and smell in a sub-sample of the NutriAct Family Study on Determinants of Food Choice (NFS; [ 11 ]), the NutriAct Family Study Examinations cohort (NFSE; N = 251, age: M = 62.5 years). The NFS/E are non-clinical cohorts of volunteers who were invited to participate in a longitudinal study protocol.…”

The social determinants of health influencing obesity for the aged in the Pakpoon community context: A qualitative study

“…The power of social networks influences population health globally [ 11 ], especially the elderly, who cannot choose their foods; older people sometimes even prefer to eat alone so that family members cannot supply them with unhealthy food choices, even when the entire family lives together in the same house [ 44 , 45 ]. Most older people in Pakpoon took care of their grandchildren because the parents could not afford a nanny and had to work for a living, a common situation worldwide that is also growing in more affluent Western societies [ 46 , 47 ].…”

An experimental approach to training interoceptive sensitivity: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

“…This pilot randomized study is nested into the Nutritional Intervention for Healthy Aging (NutriAct) Family Study (NFS). The NFS is part of a competence cluster funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research [ 42 ]. The intervention is based on a within-subject design with three measurement points (pre-intervention [T0], post-intervention [T1], 4-week follow-up [T2]), and a 21-day training period.…”

“…Study participants are recruited from the NFS, a web-based prospective study on the basis of food choice from epidemiological, psychological, and sociological perspectives [ 42 ]. The NFS is an ongoing interdisciplinary study that examines a variety of potential factors influencing food choice based on the DONE framework [ 44 ].…”