Ta'am Mustadam intervention to promote sustainable food choices
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN21703413 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN21703413 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | NCT07042412 |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Protocol serial number | Nil known |
| Sponsor | United Arab Emirates University |
| Funder | ASPIRE |
- Submission date
- 11/10/2025
- Registration date
- 21/10/2025
- Last edited
- 21/10/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Suboptimal diets are a leading cause of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and early deaths in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and heart disease are highly prevalent, with obesity rates rising sharply in recent decades. At the same time, the UAE faces environmental challenges like water scarcity, poor soil quality, and heavy reliance on food imports, which threaten food security and sustainability. To tackle these issues, national initiatives such as the UAE Food Security Strategy 2051 and the National Action Plan in Nutrition aim to improve both health and environmental resilience. Promoting sustainable diets—those that support health while minimizing environmental impact—is a key strategy. The EAT-Lancet Commission’s “planetary health diet” exemplifies this approach, emphasizing more plant-based foods and less meat. However, many existing interventions lack strong theoretical foundations. This study uses the Behavior Change Wheel (BCW) and COM-B model to design an evidence-based intervention that encourages sustainable food choices. It also applies the RE-AIM framework to assess the intervention’s reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance, helping to determine its real-world impact and long-term potential to support healthier and more sustainable eating in the UAE.
Who can participate?
Undergraduate and postgraduate students enrolled at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU).
What does the study involve?
Participants will take part in a 6-week program, followed by a 4-week follow-up period. The program will be delivered through a WhatsApp group, where participants will receive short educational messages, interactive video recipes, and daily reminders at their main mealtime to encourage sustainable food choices. In addition, participants will join hands-on activities held at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences. To help evaluate the program’s impact, participants will complete questionnaires before the program starts, right after it ends, and one month later.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The program could help participants make healthier and more sustainable food choices and contribute to improving future public health programs in the UAE. On the other hand, the present study poses no risk to participants in any form, either physical or psychological.
Where is the study run from?
The College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS) at the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) in the UAE.
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
May 2025 to January 2026. The study will start enrolling in September 2025 and run for six weeks, ending at the end of November. It will be followed by a one-month follow-up period.
Who is funding the study?
This research was supported by ASPIRE, the technology program management pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), via the ASPIRE VRI (Virtual Research Institute) Award.
Who is the main contact?
Prof. Carine Platat, PhD, platatcarine@uaeu.ac.ae
Contact information
Scientific, Principal investigator
Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, P.O. Box No. 15551
Al Ain
-
United Arab Emirates
 ORCID ID |
0000-0002-8704-6372 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +971501123017 |
| platatcarine@uaeu.ac.ae |
Public
Department of Nutrition and Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, P.O. Box No. 15551
Al Ain
0000
United Arab Emirates
| ORCID ID |
0000-0002-7802-8666 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +971506589584 |
| 700039573@uaeu.ac.ae |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Quasi-experimental pre-post design with a 4-week follow-up |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Participant information sheet | 48170_PIS.pdf |
| Scientific title | Ta'am Mustadam intervention: promoting sustainable food choices among young adults in the UAEU community |
| Study objectives | Primary Objectives: • To evaluate whether the intervention promotes sustainable food choices — specifically greater consumption of fruits and vegetables, plant-based foods (e.g., legumes &nuts), and reduced intake of red and processed meats—at post-intervention and 4-week follow-up. • To assess changes in food choice motives at post-intervention and 4-week follow-up. Secondary Objectives: • To examine improvements in knowledge, intentions, and practices related to sustainable diets at post-intervention and 4-week follow-up. • To assess changes in energy and nutrient intakes at post-intervention and 4-week follow-up. • To evaluate the intervention’s real-world impact using the RE-AIM framework. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 19/05/2025, Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee (Research and Sponsored Projects Office, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box: 15551, Al Ain, -, United Arab Emirates; +971 3 713 6597; research.office@uaeu.ac.ae), ref: ERSC_2025_6704 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Promoting sustainable food choices among young adults |
| Intervention | This 6-week pilot intervention will use a quasi-experimental pre-post design with a 4-week follow-up, targeting 80 participants at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS). The intervention focuses on increasing the consumption of fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods (e.g., legumes &nuts), and reducing the consumption of red/processed meat. The Ta'am Mustadam intervention, guided by the BCW and BCT, will consist of the following elements: 1. Education: In the mornings at 9:00 AM, educational messages will be shared via WhatsApp twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays), dietary tips on Wednesdays, and video recipes on Saturdays. Additionally, the Planetary Health Plate will be printed on a retractable banner and placed outside the entrance of the CMHS canteen. 2. Behavioral Practice: This component engages participants with sustainable eating habits through biweekly cooking competitions and hands-on snack preparation activities held on Thursdays. 3. Environmental restructuring: Daily reminders and nudges will be delivered through WhatsApp messages, timed before participants' main meals, to promote the consumption of sustainable food choices. Ta'am Mustadam intervention will be evaluated using the RE-AIM framework. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
1. Adoption of sustainable food choices assessed by dietary intake. Dietary intake will be measured through a validated English version of the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) tailored for the UAE population at pre-intervention (1 week before the start of the intervention period), post-intervention (at the end of the 6-week intervention period), and follow-up (4 weeks after the intervention end) |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
The following secondary outcome measures will be assessed at pre-intervention (1 week before the start of the intervention period), post-intervention (at the end of the 6-week intervention period), and follow-up (4 weeks after the intervention end), unless stated: |
| Completion date | 02/01/2026 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Target sample size at registration | 80 |
| Total final enrolment | 80 |
| Key inclusion criteria | Students (both undergraduates &postgraduates) at CMHS |
| Key exclusion criteria | Not signing the informed consent Reporting history of food allergies or any food intolerances (e.g., celiac disease, lactose intolerance, nut allergy, etc.) Reporting any medical condition that might directly affect eating patterns (e.g., Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Crohn’s disease, Irritable bowel syndrome) Under medication that affect eating patterns Being pregnant or breastfeeding Following a vegan or vegetarian diet |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/09/2025 |
| Date of final enrolment | 13/10/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- United Arab Emirates
Study participating centre
Al-Ain
0000
United Arab Emirates
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study will be available upon request from Prof. Carine Platat, platatcarine@uaeu.ac.ae. • Type of data: De-identified participant data, including demographics, food choice motives, knowledge, intentions, practices, behaviors toward sustainable diets, and dietary intake (FFQ). • Timing: The anonymized dataset will be made available upon reasonable request approximately 12 months after publication of the primary study findings and will remain accessible for 5 years thereafter. • Consent: All participants will provide written informed consent, including permission for the use and potential sharing of their anonymized data for academic research purposes • Anonymization: All personal identifiers (university email address) will be removed. Each participant will be assigned a unique study code to ensure confidentiality. • Restrictions: Data sharing will comply with the UAEU Human Research Ethics Committee approval (ERSC_2025_6704). All data access requests will be reviewed and approved by the Principal Investigator (Prof. Carine Platat), following UAEU’s data protection and confidentiality policies. • Additional comments: Researchers requesting data must sign a data-sharing agreement to ensure use solely for non-commercial, academic purposes. Shared datasets must not be redistributed to third parties, and secondary analyses should acknowledge the original study. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participant information sheet | 21/10/2025 | No | Yes | ||
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
Additional files
- 48170_PIS.pdf
- Participant information sheet
