Poor appetite is a key determinant of poor dietary intake, resulting in undernutrition. Protein and fibre are often depleted in the diets of older adults with poor appetite, but essential for health and well-being. Interventions designed to increase appetite, or increase dietary intake despite a poor appetite, should therefore be key to preventing undernutrition (i.e. protein-energy malnutrition as well as nutrient deficiencies). However, treatment strategies for poor appetite are not well-established.~In this multi-centre randomised controlled trial conducted in Ireland, Germany, France and Italy, a two-by-two factorial design will define the individual and combined impact of two intervention conditions over 12 weeks: 1) personalised diet with focus on plant-based protein plus fibre; and 2) physical activity.~At each centre, 60 older adults (240 in total) will be randomly allocated to one of the following four groups over a 12 week period: 1) personalised diet plus physical activity program (PD + PA), 2) usual diet plus physical activity (PA), 3) personalised diet and no PA (PD), and 4) control (usual diet, no PA).~Using identical procedures, two testing visits will be completed before and after the 12 intervention or control period.
The APPETITE Trial aims to investigate the efficacy of innovative plant protein fibre (PPF) products (developed in a previous workpackage) as part of a personalised diet with/out physical activity on appetite and incidence of undernutrition in older persons from four European countries with a poor appetite and at high risk of undernutrition.