The Effect of the Mediterranean Diet–Integrated Gamified Home-Based Cognitive-Nutritional (GAHOCON) Training Programme for Older People With Cognitive Frailty: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Kwan Rick Yiu Cho , Law Queenie Pui Sze , Tsang Jenny Tsun Yee , Lam Siu Hin , Wang Kam To , Sin Olive Shuk Kan , Cheung Daphne Sze Ki 
Published: December 2024

Background

Cognitive frailty is known to be associated with both nutrition and cognitive training. However, effective treatments that engage older adults with cognitive frailty in both the Mediterranean diet and cognitive training are lacking.

Objective

This study aims to examine the feasibility and preliminary effects of Gamified Home-Based Cognitive-Nutritional (GAHOCON) on older adults with cognitive frailty, focusing on Mediterranean diet knowledge, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, physical frailty, grip strength, walking speed, memory, and body composition.

Methods

This study applied a 2-center, assessor-blinded, 2-parallel-group, noninferiority, randomized controlled trial design. Eligible participants were community-dwelling adults aged 60 years or older, living with cognitive frailty, and exhibiting poor adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group in a 1:1 ratio. In the intervention group, participants received 4 weeks of center-based training (health education) followed by 8 weeks of home-based training (GAHOCON). In the control group, participants received only the 4 weeks of center-based training and 8 weeks of self-revision of health educational materials at home. During the intervention period, time spent by the participants and the levels of difficulty completed by them weekly on GAHOCON were measured as markers of feasibility. The outcomes included Mediterranean diet knowledge, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, cognitive function, physical frailty, grip strength, walking speed, memory, and body composition. Data were collected at baseline (T0) and 1 week postintervention (T1). The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to examine within-group effects for the outcome variables in each group separately.

Results

A total of 25 participants were recruited, with 13 allocated to the intervention group and 12 to the control group. The median cumulative minutes spent on GAHOCON training increased from 117 to 926 minutes. The median level of difficulty completed for game 1 increased from level 14 to level 20, while for game 2, it increased from level 2 to level 24. After the completion of the interventions, Mediterranean diet knowledge was retained in the intervention group but significantly decreased in the control group (r=–0.606, P=.04). Significant improvements were observed in the intervention group in Mediterranean diet adherence (r=–0.728, P=.009), cognitive function (r=–0.752, P=.007), physical frailty (r=–0.668, P=.02), and walking speed (r=–0.587, P=.03), but no such improvements were seen in the control group.

Conclusions

GAHOCON is feasible in engaging older adults with cognitive frailty to regularly participate in the intervention. Preliminary evidence suggests that it can retain Mediterranean diet knowledge following nutritional education, improve adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and enhance global cognitive function, physical frailty, and walking speed. However, the difficulty of the later levels of game 1 may be too high. Future studies should adjust the difficulty level of game 1. Additionally, trials with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm its effects.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05207930; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05207930