Cooking for Health Optimization and Disease Prevention (CHOP)
Community Teaching Kitchen-based Culinary Education as a 'Food is Medicine' Solution for Improving Health Equity Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Seniors
This trial will try a 3-month, hands-on Mediterranean cooking program to improve heart and metabolic health in English-speaking adults aged 55 and older.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 96 (estimated) |
| Ages | 55 Years to 120 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Tulane University Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (New Orleans, Louisiana and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07011459 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
The CHOP trial is a two-arm randomized controlled trial comparing a 3-month community teaching-kitchen based, hands-on culinary education program focused on the Mediterranean diet to a usual diet control group. Ninety-six participants (48 per arm) aged 55 or older will be randomized, with the intervention group attending structured cooking classes at the Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine while the control group continues usual clinical care. Outcomes include cardiometabolic health measures, nutrition-related behaviors, and feasibility/acceptability metrics. The trial excludes people with prior cardiovascular disease or cancer, major food allergies, special diets, or medications that affect glucose or lipid levels.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are English-speaking adults aged 55 or older who can consent, do not have prior cardiovascular disease or cancer, have no major food allergies, are not following a special diet, and are not taking medications that affect glucose or lipid levels.
Not a fit: People with existing cardiovascular disease or cancer, those on excluded special diets or medications that affect blood glucose or lipids, or those with disqualifying food allergies are unlikely to benefit or qualify.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could improve diet quality and cardiometabolic risk factors while also building cooking skills and social support for older adults.
How similar studies have performed: Previous community teaching-kitchen and culinary medicine programs, including work from Tulane's Goldring Center, have shown promising improvements in diet quality and some cardiometabolic measures, though high-quality randomized data remain limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 55 years or older * English speaking * Ability to provide informed consent. Exclusion Criteria: * Medical history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or cancer. * Food allergies including, but not limited to, milk, eggs, shellfish, nuts, wheat or gluten, and soy. * Special diets including, but not limited to, Mediterranean, veganism, vegetarianism, gluten-free, and the ketogenic diet. * Current use of medications that could affect blood glucose and lipids levels including, but not limited to, insulins (Humalog, Novolog, insulin detemir, etc.), anti-diabetic medications (metformin, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, etc.), Ozempic. HAART, and beta blockers. * No children are involved. * No other vulnerable subjects will be involved.
Where this trial is running
New Orleans, Louisiana and 1 other locations
- The Goldring Center for Culinary Medicine — New Orleans, Louisiana, United States (Recruiting)
- Tulane Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine — New Orleans, Louisiana, United States (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Lu Qi, PhD, MD — Tulane University
- Study coordinator: Cristina Miller, MPH
- Email: cmiller17@tulane.edu
- Phone: 504-988-2166
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.