Linguistically Tailored Health Messages to Encourage Plant-Based Food Choices in Adolescents

Launched by ERASMUS UNIVERSITY ROTTERDAM · Dec 16, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This study in the UK and Ireland is testing whether plant-based eating messages that are tailored to a teen’s own language style work better than generic messages or no messages at all. About 600 youths aged 11–16 will be randomly assigned to four groups: no messages (passive control), daily non-tailored messages, daily linguistically tailored messages, or a crossover where a week of tailored messages is followed by non-tailored messages (or vice versa). Over two weeks, participants will get daily messages about plant-based eating through a study app (Monday–Friday) and complete brief surveys about their lunch choices and how they felt about the messages. The tailored messages are created by a language model that learns each teen’s writing style from a short chat game, then adapts the wording while keeping the facts the same.

Eligibility is for youths 11–16 who live in the UK or Ireland and have access to plant-based food options at school; those on a strict vegan or vegetarian diet are excluded. Participants will need parental consent and must use the app to read messages and complete surveys, including baseline and weekend check-ins. Privacy is prioritized: the chat game is anonymous, data are saved on university servers, and personal details are protected. There’s no guaranteed benefit, but the study aims to show whether linguistically tailored messages can more effectively promote plant-based choices and shape attitudes about plant-based eating in teens.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Aged 11-16 years
• • Residing in the UK or Ireland
• • Having access to plant-based food options during school hours (e.g., provided by the school, purchased, or brought from home or a store)
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • • Adolescents who follow a strict vegetarian or vegan diet