Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39662153›Full record

Trial reportThe journal of nutrition, health & aging2025

Provision of a daily high protein and high energy meal: Effects on the physical and psychological wellbeing of community-dwelling, malnourished older adults; a randomised crossover trial.

Lauren Struszczak, Mary Hickson, Irene McClelland, Brad Metcalf, Manuela Barreto, Luciana Torquati, Jon Fulford, Rachael Allen, Claire Hulme, Mary F O'Leary and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Pooled it
  4. Review
  5. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Lauren StruszczakUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Mary HicksonUniversity of Plymouth, School of Health Professions, InterCity Place, North Road East, Plymouth, PL4 6AB, United Kingdom.
Irene McClellandDepartment of Nutrition and Dietetics, Hengrave House, Torbay Hospital, Torquay TQ2 7AA, United Kingdom.
Brad MetcalfUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Manuela BarretoUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Luciana TorquatiUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Jon FulfordUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Rachael AllenUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Claire HulmeUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Mary F O'LearyUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom.
Joanna L BowtellUniversity of Exeter, Faculty of Health & Life Sciences, St Lukes Campus, Heavitree Road, Exeter EX1 2LU, United Kingdom. Electronic address: j.bowtell@exeter.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo determine whether daily provision of a high protein, high energy meal for 12-weeks to under-nourished older adults living independently in the community can improve physical, physiological, and psychological outcomes.

designA randomised crossover trial.

settingParticipant homes within a 15-mile radius to meal supplier; Dartmoor Community Kitchen Hub.

participantsFifty-six community dwelling older adults (82 ± 7 years, 70% female) were randomised (stratified for baseline mini nutritional assessment (MNA) score and cohabiting or living alone) to receive 12-weeks of meal provision followed by 12-weeks no intervention (meals first group, n = 28), or, 12-weeks without intervention followed by 12-weeks of meal provision intervention (meals second group, n = 28).

interventionA daily high protein and high energy home-delivered meal for 12-weeks. Each meal contained >50% daily protein requirements (0.6 g kg MEASUREMENTS: Physical, physiological and psychological health (including MNA score, body composition, hand grip strength, self-esteem, and depression) were evaluated in participants' homes before and after each 12-week period (baseline, 12-weeks, and 24-weeks). The effect of meal provision was assessed by t-test then effects were combined using meta-analysis. Retention of any meal provision effect after cessation of meal delivery was quantified as change from the end of the meal intervention versus 12-weeks follow-up via paired t-test.

resultsThe meal intervention significantly increased MNA score with a medium effect size (MNA: pooled Cohen's D = 0.74, p < 0.001). Energy and protein intake increased significantly during the control period where participants were asked to maintain their habitual diet in the meals second group (energy intake: increase = 252 kcal [95% CI 36-487 kcal], t(22) = 2.408, p = 0.025, protein intake: increase = 0.20 g kg

conclusionProvision of high protein, high energy meals to community dwelling older adults for 12-weeks improved nutritional status and handgrip strength, indicative of reduced frailty risk. Benefits were not retained upon withdrawal of the intervention, suggesting a need for sustained interventions in this cohort to meet nutritional needs. Home-delivered meals offer a popular, and scalable intervention for community dwelling older adults to prevent malnutrition, promote health and sustain high quality independent living thus reducing the burden of ageing and frailty on health and social care systems.

Indexed as

Dietary ProteinsDiet, High-ProteinEnergy IntakeMalnutritionMealsAgedAged, 80 and overCross-Over StudiesDepressionFemaleGeriatric AssessmentHand StrengthHumansIndependent LivingMaleMental HealthDietary ProteinsAge careHigh-proteinMalnutritionSarcopenia

Identifiers

PMID39662153
PMCPMC12180064

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.