(P11-016-25) Study Protocol for the Culturally Appropriate Recipes for Impactful Nutrition Goals for Communities Study (CARING for Communities)

Objectives: The Mediterranean diet has gained popularity as a paragon for healthy eating. However, such emphasis on a diet from a circumscribed region of the globe that limits foods like pork may not be the most sustainable/inclusive strategy to promote healthy eating in communities worldwide. Initiatives that honor local dietary practices and that embrace and utilize regional and culturally appropriate foods, including but not limited to lean pork, may show comparable effects on health and may also be more acceptable or enjoyable for local residents. The objective of this study is to develop a healthful culturally appropriate diet (the Midwestern diet) composed of recipes specific to the Midwest (test case south-central Indiana region) that includes pork and to test acceptability and attitudes toward this local diet in comparison to the Mediterranean diet that does not contain pork.

Methods: Participants will be three age cohorts of adult men and women: later stage Gen-Z (22-29) (n = 15), community-based adults (30-64) (n = 15), and older adults (65+) (n = 15) recruited from the local community. The proposed study will occur at the Innovation Center at Indiana University-Bloomington. This is a two-period crossover, randomized controlled trial with adults to determine acceptability and adherence of two different diets that are based on US Dietary Guidelines recommendations. Participants will be randomized to receive a 7-day Midwestern diet that incorporates pork-based study foods daily to provide at least 25% of weekly protein requirements (Midwest-diet condition) or a 7-day Mediterranean diet (Med-diet condition) providing the same number of calories, matched for macronutrients, and meeting micronutrient requirements. After a 14-day washout period, participants will cross over to the alternate condition. Primary outcome measures for this pilot study will be liking, acceptability, and adherence measures for both study diets. Secondary outcomes will include skin carotenoid concentration as a biomarker of fruit and vegetable consumption.

Results: N/A

Conclusions: Results from this pilot study can inform future research on adapting culturally appropriate interventions/programs. Such efforts may impact the dietary health of not only Indiana community members but also the greater midwestern region.

Funding Sources: The National Pork Board