Clinical trial NCT00114582: Optimizing the Ambiance During Mealtimes in Dutch Nursing Homes
Official title: Optimizing the Ambiance During Mealtimes in Dutch Nursing Homes
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE2
Conditions: Malnutrition
Keywords: family style dinner
quality of life
nutritional status
nursing home residents
Lead sponsor: Wageningen University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development
First posted: 2005-06-16
Enrollment: 120
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 40
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Optimizing the social and physical ambiance during mealtimes in Dutch nursing homes: implementation and evaluation of the effect with respect to quality of life, nutritional status and physical performance.

Detailed description: Study design: During six months the intervention group had their meals in family style, and the control group received the usual tray services.

Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the intervention program had a positive effect on quality of life, food intake, body weight, physical performance, and biochemical data (hematocrit, hemoglobin, leucocytes, ferretin, albumin, homocysteine and folate) among the residents in the intervention group, while these outcome measures would regularly decline among the residents in the control group.

Site and participants: Nursing homes volunteered to participate in the study. In each nursing home there was a control and intervention ward. Only residents with a chronic somatic disorder were included. Residents were excluded when they were in a terminal phase of a disease, had total parenteral feeding or were not able to give informed consent due to their physical or mental condition. The ethical committee and the client board of the nursing homes and the medical ethical committee of Wageningen University approved the study protocol.

Intervention: The intervention program lasted for six months and was based on an inventory research of mealtime ambiance models in the Netherlands. The program consisted of five aspects: table dressing, food services, staff protocol, residents' protocol, and mealtime protocol. Before the start of the meal, tables were set with tablecloths, full cutlery and plates. The cooked meal was served in dishes and residents had the opportunity to choose between two kinds of vegetables, two kinds of meat and potatoes.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Nursing home residents with a chronic somatic disease and long term care

Exclusion Criteria:

* Residents were excluded when they were in a terminal phase of a disease, had total parenteral feeding or were not able to give informed consent due to their physical or mental condition.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Nutritional status
measure: Quality of life
measure: Physical performance
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Wageningen
country: Netherlands
facility: Wageningen University
state: Gelderland
Study officials:
References:
citation: Mathey MF, Vanneste VG, de Graaf C, de Groot LC, van Staveren WA. Health effect of improved meal ambiance in a Dutch nursing home: a 1-year intervention study. Prev Med. 2001 May;32(5):416-23. doi: 10.1006/pmed.2001.0816.
citation: Nijs K, Vanneste V, de Graaf K, van Staveren W. [Project models to improve the ambiance during meal times in Dutch nursing homes: incentives and barriers for implementation]. Tijdschr Gerontol Geriatr. 2003 Dec;34(6):246-53. Dutch.
citation: Nijs KA, de Graaf C, Kok FJ, van Staveren WA. Effect of family style mealtimes on quality of life, physical performance, and body weight of nursing home residents: cluster randomised controlled trial. BMJ. 2006 May 20;332(7551):1180-4. doi: 10.1136/bmj.38825.401181.7C. Epub 2006 May 5.