Developing a novel, food-based intervention to improve nutritional health and ageing in older South Asian and Black African and Caribbean communities living in the UK – co-produced research project
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN71874112 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN71874112 |
- Submission date
- 27/01/2025
- Registration date
- 30/01/2025
- Last edited
- 24/06/2025
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Ongoing
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aims
Nutrition is an important factor in healthy ageing, and a healthy diet from midlife onwards can improve the quality of life in older age. People from South Asian or Black Caribbean and African communities are affected by a lot of diet-related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease at earlier stages in their older age than those of White British origin. Certain ways of eating such as following the Mediterranean Diet have been shown to reduce the risk of these diseases. However, people from South Asian or Black Caribbean and African communities may prefer to maintain their traditional diets or adapt the Western diet to include traditional elements. We need to better understand the cultural food habits to be able to develop nutrition approaches that work, specifically targeting these communities and helping people to live healthily for longer. The overall aim of this research project is to work with communities to co-produce a novel food-based intervention to improve nutrition and promote healthy ageing in UK South Asian and Black Caribbean and African older adults.
Who can participate?
Older adults aged 60 years and over from South Asian and Black African and Caribbean backgrounds living in the UK can participate in the qualitative study.
What does the study involve?
This study will use a 'co-production' approach, which is research undertaken by researchers with people who have a direct interest in, or experience of, the issue being researched. We will collaborating with project leads and public involvement/engagement members from four community third-sector organisations, who will be involved in all stages of the research project - from reviewing study materials, undertaking recruitment and data collection, helping to interpret the study findings, and helping to develop the toolkit of recommendations. There will be two methods of data collection and analysis. Firstly, we will analyse large national datasets of survey data to explore dietary practices. Secondly, through interviews, focus groups and photographs taken by participants, we will explore the day-to-day diets of older adults from these communities. We want to understand which factors help to maintain a culturally based diet and the role of food in maintaining social relationships and traditions, as well as the barriers to achieving these. Using the information collected from this study, we will work with stakeholders and project partners to develop sustainable, culturally inclusive food solutions that promote better nutrition and healthy ageing that can be used by services and policy makers.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Whilst there are no immediate benefits to you participating in the project, it is hoped that this work will help us understand factors that influence nutrition in different communities and will help us to develop a toolkit to improve nutrition and promote healthy ageing in older adults of South Asian and Black Caribbean and African origin in the UK.
Whilst we do not anticipate any risks in taking part in this study, there is a possibility that talking about experiences with food and health may generate emotional responses.
Where is the study run from?
Bournemouth University (UK)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2023 to September 2025
Who is funding the study?
Medical Research Council - UK Research and Innovation
Who is the main contact?
Pooja Shah, shahp@bournemouth.ac.uk
Contact information
Public, Scientific
Bournemouth Gateway Building
Bournemouth University
St Pauls Lane
Bournemouth
BH8 8GP
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-5101-8129 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0) 1202 524111 |
| shahp@bournemouth.ac.uk |
Principal Investigator
Bournemouth Gateway Building
Bournemouth University
St Pauls Lane
Bournemouth
BH8 8GP
United Kingdom
| ORCID ID |
0000-0003-3531-5566 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0) 1202 524111 |
| jmurphy@bournemouth.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Mixed methods: Secondary quantitative analysis of large national datasets and qualitative visual ethnographic study across multiple sites |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Observational |
| Secondary study design | Qualitative research |
| Study setting(s) | Charity/Voluntary sector, Community, Home |
| Study type | Other |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet. |
| Scientific title | TANGERINE - nuTritional heAlth aNd aGeing in oldER ethnIc miNoritiEs |
| Study acronym | TANGERINE |
| Study objectives | There is limited data exploring factors influencing healthy dietary practices and a dearth of well-designed nutrition interventions specifically targeting ethnic communities. Through co-production, we aim to: 1. Investigate the key determinants (e.g. socio-economic, environmental, psychosocial, and physical) of nutrition, dietary behaviour, and food insecurity during midlife and how these vary between ethnic groups through secondary analysis of key UK national datasets. 2. Use photovoice as a novel approach to qualitatively explore dietary practices in older adults from Black African and Caribbean, Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi communities in Greater Manchester and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. 3. Work with key stakeholders and community and faith groups to co-produce sustainable and culturally inclusive food solutions that promote better nutrition and healthy ageing. |
| Ethics approval(s) |
Approved 19/06/2024, Bournemouth University Research Ethics (Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, Bournemouth, BH12 5BB, United Kingdom; +44 1202 524111; researchethics@bournemouth.ac.uk), ref: 56768 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Dietary practices in older adults from diverse communities |
| Intervention | Work Package (WP) 1: covers all three aspects of the study hypothesis. Work with community third-sector organisations (project partners) to Identify public involvement and engagement members to advise on research process, materials, and dissemination. WP2a: Quantitative secondary data analysis of large national datasets (UK Biobank and Understanding Society) to investigate diet quality and factors which influence the diet of South Asian and Black African and Caribbean adults from midlife onwards. WP2b: Qualitative visual ethnographic study of older (aged 60 years or over) adults from South Asian and Black African and Caribbean communities living in the UK. Focus groups, one-to-one interviews, and photographs will be used to explore current dietary habits and practices. WP3: Work with stakeholders and community groups to mobilise new knowledge generated from WP1 and WP2 to inform the co-production of sustainable and culturally inclusive food solutions that will be a benchmark for services, policies and practices to support nutritional health and promote healthy ageing in older adults from diverse communities. |
| Intervention type | Other |
| Primary outcome measure | We will be using a qualitative visual ethnographic approach called ‘Photovoice’, whereby participants will take photographs to document, reflect upon, and communicate issues of concern, while stimulating social change. In the first focus group we will discuss perspectives on food and nutrition, including access to and use of traditional ingredients. Over the next two weeks, participants will be tasked with capturing photographs that tell stories through food. Then, during one-to-one interviews, participants will use the photos to discuss the role of food in their lives. Participants will choose one or two photographs to discuss in the second focus group to create discussion around culture, food choices, and challenges/barriers to accessing food. |
| Secondary outcome measures | There are no secondary outcome measures |
| Overall study start date | 29/09/2023 |
| Completion date | 28/09/2025 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer, Health professional, Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 60 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 50 participants for WP2b; 20 stakeholders for WP3. |
| Key inclusion criteria | WP2b: Older adults aged 60 years and above from South Asian and Black African and Caribbean communities in the UK. WP3: Stakeholders from different professions with experience in diet and nutrition in older age: NHS, voluntary/private organisations, commercial organisations, entrepreneurs and policy makers. |
| Key exclusion criteria | Does not meet inclusion criteria |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/07/2024 |
| Date of final enrolment | 31/07/2025 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- United Kingdom
Study participating centre
Talbot Campus, Fern Barrow
Poole
BH12 5BB
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
Fern Barrow
Bournemouth
BH12 5BB
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)1202 524111 |
|---|---|
| ascott@bournemouth.ac.uk | |
| Website | https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/05wwcw481 |
Funders
Funder type
Research council
Government organisation / National government
- Alternative name(s)
- Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), UK Medical Research Council, MRC
- Location
- United Kingdom
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 31/12/2025 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Stored in non-publicly available repository |
| Publication and dissemination plan | The results will be shared at both national and international conferences. Academic papers from all three work packages (WPs) will be submitted to high-impact journals for open-access publication. The researchers will collaborate with community partners to create research summaries that are community-focused and accessible, and toolkits that are culturally-relevant and inclusive. |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated and/or analysed during this study will be securely stored in a restricted-access repository at Bournemouth University. The raw data will remain confidential and accessible only to the core research team. Full anonymised study datasets will be accessible only to named members of the immediate research team, and authorised representatives from the Sponsor or host institution for monitoring and audit purposes to ensure regulatory compliance. Personal data will not be shared with any third parties. |
Editorial Notes
24/06/2025: The recruitment end date was changed from 30/06/2025 to 31/07/2025.
27/01/2025: Trial's existence confirmed by Bournemouth University.
