Health-related interventions to improve health and wellbeing and reduce overweight, obesity and unemployment
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN17609001 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN17609001 |
- Submission date
- 23/02/2021
- Registration date
- 24/02/2021
- Last edited
- 13/02/2024
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Other
Plain English Summary
Background and study aims
The increasing rate of obesity and overweight is of great concern worldwide and obesity is rising in the UK, leading to growing concerns over its long-term impact on health. Obesity and overweight put people at risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes, lung disease, cancers and premature death. Additionally, there are economic costs to the healthcare system. In England, high levels of obesity coincide with high rates of unemployment and low income. Fresh, local, healthy food options are often expensive and may be more difficult to cook. This results in many people with low income consuming more highly processed or convenience foods which put them at risk of becoming overweight or obese. While there is a clear link between unemployment and overweight or obesity, current health and employment services rarely work together to tackle the issues as one problem. Individuals struggling with their weight or wellbeing can have difficulties finding work due to a lack of self-confidence and feeling the pressures of stigma. On the other hand, a person who is out of regular work or activity may also struggle to maintain a healthy weight.
The ASPIRE project will help individuals who are unemployed or living with overweight or obesity grow fresh produce, learn new skills, improve their diet, physical activity and wellbeing, as well as increase their employability and employment prospects.
Who can participate?
Adults (18 years or above [UK], 16 years or above [France]) who are unemployed or living with overweight and obesity.
What does the study involve?
Participating in ASPIRE will require regular visits to the ASPIRE hub to take part in activities organised at the hub. Activities will be centred around healthy lifestyle activities which will help participants to eat healthy, grow healthy produce and engage with their community. You can choose to participate in activities within different themes namely: ‘Grow your own’, ‘Eat your own’, ‘Sell your own’ and ‘Self-esteem and community’. The activities chosen by participants will depend on the goals they set for themselves with the help of their local ASPIRE coordinator.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Taking part in ASPIRE will provide participants with some useful information about their health, diet and wellbeing and will help them to practice a healthy lifestyle.
The study is low risk and there will be no adverse effects associated with participation. Participants will be adequately informed about the study, intervention activities and are able to leave the study at any point should they wish to do so.
Where is the study run from?
ASPIRE activities will be implemented at different hubs/community centres located in Medway, Kent and Boscombe (for sites located in the UK) and in Peronne, Wimereux, Abbeville and Viielle Eglise (for the hubs located in France).
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
September 2019 to June 2023
Who is funding the study?
The ASPIRE project is funded by EU Interreg European Regional Development Fund (ASPIRE 191).
Who is the main contact?
Professor Jane Murphy, jmurphy@bournemouth.ac.uk
Contact information
Scientific
BGB 504 Bournemouth Gateway Building
Bournemouth University
St Pauls Lane
Bournemouth
BH8 8GP
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)1202962805 |
|---|---|
| jmurphy@bournemouth.ac.uk |
Scientific
BGB 504 Bournemouth Gateway Building
Bournemouth University
St Pauls Lane
Bournemouth
BH8 8GP
United Kingdom
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-7785-4336 |
|---|---|
| Phone | +44 (0)7585087523 |
| samenyah@bournemouth.ac.uk |
Scientific
BGB 504 Bournemouth Gateway Building, Bournemouth University, St Pauls Lane, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
BH8 8GP
United Kingdom
| Phone | 01202 961693 |
|---|---|
| lfenge@bournemouth.ac.uk |
Study information
| Study design | Multicentre interventional non-randomized study |
|---|---|
| Primary study design | Interventional |
| Secondary study design | Non randomised study |
| Study setting(s) | Community |
| Study type | Quality of life |
| Participant information sheet | Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a patient information sheet. |
| Scientific title | Adding to Social capital and individual Potential In disadvantaged REgions |
| Study acronym | ASPIRE |
| Study hypothesis | 1. Health-related interventions will result in weight loss in adults with overweight and obesity 2. Health-related interventions will increase employment in unemployed individuals |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 14/08/2020, Bournemouth University Research Ethics committee (M402, Melbury House, 1-3 Oxford Road, Bournemouth, BH8 8ES, UK; +44 (0)1202 961073; swignall@bournemouth.ac.uk), ref: 33136 |
| Condition | Reduction of body weight and increase in employment in adults who are unemployed or living with overweight and obesity |
| Intervention | Interventions in ASPIRE will be a combination of healthy lifestyle and skills training to help participants improve their health and wellbeing and ultimately reduce their weight, obtain employment or enter into training or voluntary roles. The activities have been placed under four themes and participants can choose a theme that matches their goals with the help of their local ASPIRE coordinator. The core elements of ASPIRE are listed below: • Being active via ‘grow your own’ • Healthy food and nutrition via ‘eat your own’ • Achieving personal goals and improving employability via ‘sell your own’ • Self-esteem and support within a community which brings all the different elements together. ASPIRE activities will include the following: Virtual reality guided meditation, self-care and self-image support activities, motivational interviewing, positive experience workshops, understanding behaviour change workshops, setting up and maintaining community allotment or personal vegetable patch workshops, walking groups, understanding of seasonal and local food cultivation workshops, fitness and wellbeing classes (yoga, tai chi, mindfulness), diet and nutrition workshops, cooking classes, food shop on a budget tools and support, cooking on a budget/cooking with leftovers resources, sourcing cheaper healthy produce, meal planning, reducing waste and food preservation workshops, cooking with homegrown produce, cooking with limited resources, soft skills recognition and development workshops, links with local business to offer volunteering and work experience, interview preparation: mental and physical via workshops and virtual reality, entrepreneurship support, workshops to define skills (interpersonal skills and know-how), strengths and weaknesses and know how to introduce yourself (in connection with the virtual reality interviews). ASPIRE will have a one group pre-test-post-test design and participants will be followed up over time. Due to the nature of the ASPIRE project, there is no fixed intervention time. Participants will be allowed to take part in activities until their weight loss or employment goals are met. Some participants may exit the study earlier if they have obtained a job or met their weight goal. |
| Intervention type | Behavioural |
| Primary outcome measure | 1. Body weight (kg) and body mass index (kg/m²) is measured using the Interactive Health Kiosk at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months 2. Employment status will be assessed by documenting when a participant obtains remunerated work (full-time and part-time) or subsidised work measured by self-report at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months |
| Secondary outcome measures | 1. Dietary intake and diet quality will be measured using a validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (FFQ), at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months 2. Self-efficacy will be assessed using The General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE) at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months 3. Health-related quality of life will be measured using the EuroQol EQ-5D-5L questionnaire at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months 4. Physical activity will be measured using self-reported assessments of physical activity on a 2-item questionnaire which reports participants’ engagement in light, moderate or vigorous physical activity over the previous week as well as the duration and frequency of the activity at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months 5. Self-reported health status will be assessed using 5-items on the health, wellbeing and activity questionnaire consisting of questions asking participants to rate their physical health over the past 30 days at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months 6. Workability will be assessed using 4-items adapted from the work ability and functional capacity self-assessment questionnaire at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 9 months |
| Overall study start date | 01/09/2019 |
| Overall study end date | 30/06/2023 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Healthy volunteer |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 18 Years |
| Sex | Both |
| Target number of participants | 1,303 |
| Total final enrolment | 331 |
| Participant inclusion criteria | 1. Individuals who are overweight or obese or unemployed or jobseeker 2. Ability to attend activities at ASPIRE hub in the different implementation sites 3. Adults 18 years and above (16 years for participants in France) |
| Participant exclusion criteria | 1. Terminal illness or palliative care, dementia, a severe mental health problem or learning difficulty. 2. Planned bariatric or weight loss surgery 3. Serious psychosocial problems or behavioural problems that could hinder participation in interventions (e.g. drug addiction, serious psychiatric disorders, aggressive delinquent behaviour) 3. Pregnant or planning to become pregnant 4. Individuals currently involved in full-time paid employment or recurrent (continuous) short-term contracts |
| Recruitment start date | 28/09/2020 |
| Recruitment end date | 30/09/2022 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- England
- France
- United Kingdom
Study participating centres
Aylesham
Canterbury
CT3 3AJ
United Kingdom
Abbeville
80100
France
Peronne
80200
France
Wimereux
62930
France
Vieille Eglise
62162
France
Bourne Avenue
Bournemouth
BH2 6DY
United Kingdom
21 Bailey Drive
Gillingham Business Park
Gillingham
ME8 0PZ
United Kingdom
Sponsor information
University/education
Julie Northam
Head of Research Development & Support
M402, Melbury House
1-3 Oxford Road
Bournemouth
BH8 8ES
England
United Kingdom
| Phone | +44 (0)1202 961208 |
|---|---|
| jnortham@bournemouth.ac.uk | |
| Website | https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/ |
"ROR" |
https://ror.org/05wwcw481 |
Funders
Funder type
Government
No information available
Results and Publications
| Intention to publish date | 31/12/2024 |
|---|---|
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
| IPD sharing plan summary | Other |
| Publication and dissemination plan | Planned publication of results in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal. |
| IPD sharing plan | All data generated or analysed during this study will be included in the subsequent results publication. |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Protocol article | realist evaluation protocol | 24/03/2021 | 27/04/2021 | Yes | No |
Editorial Notes
13/02/2024: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The overall study end date was changed from 13/01/2023 to 30/06/2023.
2. The intention to publish date was changed from 28/02/2024 to 31/12/2024.
02/02/2023: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The overall end date was changed from 28/02/2023 to 13/01/2023.
2. The total final enrolment was added.
05/05/2022: The recruitment end date has been changed from 28/05/2022 to 30/09/2022.
27/04/2021: Publication reference added.
23/02/2021: Trial’s existence confirmed by EU Interreg European Development Fund
