Video Chat During Meals to Improve Nutritional Intake in Older Adults
Condition: Malnutrition; Loneliness
MeSH terms: Malnutrition
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The VideoDining study is a Stage IB behavioral intervention development project. The
      objectives are to determine the feasibility and acceptability of using video chat during
      mealtimes (VideoDining) in community-dwelling older adults eating alone at home and to
      evaluate changes in nutritional intake and loneliness in response to VideoDining.
    

Detailed description: 
      The U.S. population is growing older and more adults are aging at home alone, by choice, or
      due to a lack of affordable senior housing. Older adults who live alone have a less healthy
      eating pattern, eat a smaller variety of foods and consume fewer fruits and vegetables than
      those living with others. Additionally, eating alone, social isolation and loneliness often
      accompany living alone and are independent risk factors for lower caloric intake, less
      variety in the diet and malnutrition. Community-based interventions are needed to improve the
      nutritional status of older adults living alone.

      VideoDining uses video chat during mealtimes to virtually eat with another person and could
      provide social interactions and modeling to improve dietary intake in older adults eating
      alone. Extensive observational and experimental research shows that people eat more when
      dining with others than dining alone, called the social facilitation of eating. Additionally,
      a dining partner's modeling of eating can provide a guide for what and how much to eat. The
      investigators have conducted a Stage IA proof-of-concept study of VideoDining in older adults
      and will expand the development of this behavioral intervention with this study.

      The goals are to determine the feasibility and acceptability of VideoDining and to evaluate
      changes in nutritional intake and loneliness in response to multiple VideoDining sessions in
      community-dwelling older adults eating alone at home. In this single-arm intervention study,
      thirty older adult Meals on Wheels participants will be scheduled to VideoDine with a dining
      partner six times. Using a mixed-methods approach, the investigators will collect data on
      older adults' ability to VideoDine, acceptance of VideoDining, dietary intake, and
      loneliness. Data will be collected before starting VideoDining, after each VideoDining
      session, and at the end of the study period. Development, adaptation and refinement of the
      VideoDining intervention are additional key outcomes of this study.
    

Intervention name(s): VideoDine
Intervention type(s): Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participants will VideoDine with a dining partner at least six times during an eight week period. VideoDining involves sharing a meal with someone not physically present using video chat technology. Dining partners will be recruited, trained and paired with participants. Participants will be provided Amazon Echo Show devices for video chat.
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Intervention model description: All participants will receive the VideoDining intervention.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Other
Keywords: Older Adults; Geriatric; Elderly; Malnutrition; Nutrition; Video chat; Loneliness; Social Isolation; Social Facilitation of Eating; Aging in Place; Home Delivered Meals; Technology