Siv Skotheim1, Lisbeth Dahl2, Katina Handeland2,3, Livar Frøyland2, Øyvind Lie2, Jannike Øyen2, Marian Kjellevold2, Kjell Morten Stormark1,4, Ingvild Eide Graff2. 1. 1 Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Uni Research Health, Bergen, Norway. 2. 2 National Institute of Nutrition and Seafood Research (NIFES), Bergen, Norway. 3. 3 Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 4. 4 Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Abstract
AIMS: To describe the rationale, study design, population and dietary compliance in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effect of fatty fish on cognitive performance and mental health in adolescents. METHOD: In the Fish Intervention Studies-TEENS (FINS-TEENS) study we individually randomized 478 adolescents (14-15-year-olds) from eight secondary schools in Norway to receiveschool meal lunches with fatty fish or meat or n-3 supplements three times a week for 12 weeks. Demographic factors, psychological tests and biological measures were collected pre-and post-intervention. Duplicate portions of lunch meals were collected and individual intake recorded throughout the study. RESULTS:In total, 481 out of 785 adolescents (61%) agreed to participate and 34 (7%) dropped out. Breakfast consumption was the only group difference in background characteristics. Analyses of selected nutrients in the lunch meals showed higher levels of n-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and n-6 fatty acids in the fish compared to the meat meals. Dietary compliance (score 0-144) revealed that the intake in the Fish group (mean = 59, standard deviation (SD) = 35) were lower than in the Meat group (mean = 83, SD = 31, p < 0.01) and Supplement group (mean = 105, SD = 25, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that it is possible to conduct a RCT with fatty fish in a school-based setting. The results also emphasize the importance of collecting detailed records of dietary compliance, as this information is important when interpreting and analysing the outcome of dietary interventions.
RCT Entities:
AIMS: To describe the rationale, study design, population and dietary compliance in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigating the effect of fatty fish on cognitive performance and mental health in adolescents. METHOD: In the Fish Intervention Studies-TEENS (FINS-TEENS) study we individually randomized 478 adolescents (14-15-year-olds) from eight secondary schools in Norway to receive school meal lunches with fatty fish or meat or n-3 supplements three times a week for 12 weeks. Demographic factors, psychological tests and biological measures were collected pre-and post-intervention. Duplicate portions of lunch meals were collected and individual intake recorded throughout the study. RESULTS: In total, 481 out of 785 adolescents (61%) agreed to participate and 34 (7%) dropped out. Breakfast consumption was the only group difference in background characteristics. Analyses of selected nutrients in the lunch meals showed higher levels of n-3 fatty acids, vitamin D and n-6 fatty acids in the fish compared to the meat meals. Dietary compliance (score 0-144) revealed that the intake in the Fish group (mean = 59, standard deviation (SD) = 35) were lower than in the Meat group (mean = 83, SD = 31, p < 0.01) and Supplement group (mean = 105, SD = 25, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that it is possible to conduct a RCT with fatty fish in a school-based setting. The results also emphasize the importance of collecting detailed records of dietary compliance, as this information is important when interpreting and analysing the outcome of dietary interventions.
Entities:
Keywords:
Dietary intervention; adolescents; biomarkers; cognitive performance; mental health