Background
Contact person
- nina.c.overby@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 13 24
We know little about diet and quality of life among young adults in Norway, and about what kind of information they need in order to make healthy food choices. We also know little about how diet and lifestyle in the years before having children influence one’s own health and the health of potential future children. The aim of the PREPARED research project is to generate new knowledge in this area.
We have recently developed a theory- and evidence-based digital intervention designed to improve the diets of potential parents before their first pregnancy and to promote the health of the next generation. Recruitment to the study began in autumn 2021. To evaluate the effect of the intervention on future pregnancies and child health, study data will be linked to national birth registry data.
Digital interventions offer the advantages of low cost and exceptional reach into populations that have previously been difficult to engage in research. This also enables the exploration of social inequalities in health. PREPARED will expand and generate new knowledge about the importance of diet before the first pregnancy for the health of the next generation, and will contribute to the development of a health-promoting tool that can be used both nationally and internationally. The project provides Norway with an opportunity to be at the forefront of this groundbreaking research area. Our goal is to recruit 7,000 young adults aged 20–35 in 2021/2022, with the first results expected in 2023.
As a participant in PREPARED, individuals will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: an intervention group that receives access to a digital learning resource on diet for a limited period, or a control group. Both groups are equally important for the research.
Project group
- nina.c.overby@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 13 24
- elisabet.r.hillesund@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 12 85
- anine.medin@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 14 28
- froydis.n.vik@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 18 55
- andrew.wills@uia.no
- dagrun.engeset@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 24 23
- erlend.l.valen@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 22 09
- lorentz.salvesen@uia.no
- Phone
- +47 38 14 20 94
Results
Salvesen L, Engeset D, Øverby NC, Medin AC. Development and evaluation of image-series for portion size estimation in dietary assessment among adults. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2021;10:e3. doi:10.1017/jns.2020.58
Øverby NC, Medin AC, Valen EL, et al. Effectiveness of a digital dietary intervention program targeting young adults before parenthood: protocol for the PREPARED randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open 2021;11:e055116. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-055116.
Salvesen L, Wills AK, Øverby NC, Engeset D, Medin AC. Relative validity of a non-quantitative 33-item dietary screener with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire among young adults. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2023;12:e72. doi:10.1017/jns.2023.57
Valen, E. N., Øverby, N. C., Hardy-Johnson, P., Vik, F. N., Salvesen, L., Omholt, M. L., Barker, M. E., & Hillesund, E. R. (2024). Lessons learned from talking with adults about nutrition: A qualitative study in the PREPARED project. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 20(S2), e13540. https://doi.org/10.1111/mcn.13540
Salvesen L, Wills AK, Øverby NC, Engeset D, Medin AC. Relative validity of a non-quantitative 33-item dietary screener with a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire among young adults. Journal of Nutritional Science. 2023;12:e72. doi:10.1017/jns.2023.57
Salvesen L, Valen EN, Wills AK, et al. Developmental origins of health and disease knowledge is associated with diet quality in preconception young adult men and women. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. 2023;14(5):631-638. doi:10.1017/S2040174423000314
Salvesen, L. Universitetet i Agder Fakultet for helse- og idrettsvitenskap. (2024). Initiating the PREPARED project : a digital dietary intervention for preconception young adults-protocol development, validation of dietary methods, and DOHaD knowledge-diet quality insights (Vol. 451). University of Agder, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences.