Enjoying affordable, tasty meals together

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

This pilot interventional program provides meal kits along with culturally relevant nutrition education to lower-income adults aged 40+ with BMI over 30 and at least one cardiometabolic risk factor, and compares outcomes to a group receiving general nutrition materials. The study will measure acceptability and satisfaction, participation rates in the education program, and changes in food insecurity, dietary quality, cooking self-efficacy, psychosocial health, quality of life, and cardiometabolic markers. Data will be collected through questionnaires, participation tracking, and clinical measures, and analyzed to determine feasibility and preliminary impact. The goal is to inform larger trials by identifying whether meal kits plus education increase engagement and produce measurable health benefits in this population.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria:

* Adults aged 40 years and older.
* Household income at or less than the 200% the federal poverty level (household size 1: $30,120, household size 2: $40,880, household size 3: $51,640, household size 4: $62,400, and household size 5: $73,160)
* Willing to provide informed consent and complete the study requirements, including attending study visits and completing questionnaires.
* Access to a refrigerator or other means to safely store perishable food, as the meal kits require refrigeration.
* BMI \> 30 kg/m2 and self-report having at least one of the following: elevated blood pressure or hypertension, elevated glucose, prediabetes or diabetes.
* Reside in the Greater Lowell area or surrounding regions to ensure feasibility of meal kit delivery and data collection.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Less than 40 years old
* Does not have BMI \>30 kg/m2, elevated blood pressure or hypertension, or elevated glucose, prediabetes or diabetes
* Not able to provide consent (adults lacking capacity)
* Follow a medically restricted diet or have allergies to wheat, soy, or dairy
* Plans to move from the Greater Lowell area within the next 12 months
* Live outside the Greater Lowell area because this will impact meal kit delivery
* Individuals without a working refrigerator in your household
* Have a serious medical condition requiring a doctor's care including cancer, chronic kidney disease and/or celiac disease
* Currently part of a study on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nutrition or weight-loss
* Currently taking any weight loss medication like Ozempic, or medication for diabetes, dyslipidemia or hypertension
* Currently using a continuous glucose monitor

Where it's running

• University of Massachusetts Lowell
  Lowell, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Sabrina Noel, PhD
• Email: sabrina_noel@uml.edu
• Phone: 978 934 6459

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.