Whatsapp, Article, No PhoneNCT03247621
Exploring the Effects of Social Media Use and Environmental Factors
A study testing Whatsapp, Article and No Phone in people with Whatsapp, Article, No Phone, run by Yale-NUS College at 1 site in Singapore.
Trial summary
In this protocol, the investigators propose a randomised controlled trail to explore the effects of environmental factors and the use of technology on eating behaviours. The investigators have planned two studies to investigate these effects, one on high school students from Raffles Institution, and the other on the… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 13 to 26 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Whatsapp, Article, No Phone
- What is being tested?
- Whatsapp, Article and No Phone
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- Yes, some participants may receive a placebo
- How many people
- 180 participants
- Where
- 1 siteSingapore
- Study dates
- Jul 2015to Jul 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 13 to 26 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Who may be able to join
- Normal weight: Body mass index of 18 to 25
- Have at least occasional breakfast meals (≥ 3 times a week of self-reported consumption of a breakfast meal)
Who cannot join
- Symptoms / history of any medical or psychiatric conditions
- Allergies to food products
- History of eating disorders
- Excessive exercise (≥ 5 times a week of self-reported exercise)
- Currently on a special diet or deliberating restricting caloric intake
- Currently on a weight loss program
- Smoking or substance abuse
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
Singapore1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Yale-NUS College
Singapore, 138527
Jean Liu, PhD, jeanliu@yale-nus.edu.sg
About this study
Official title: External Eating: An Investigation of Social Media and Environmental Factors Influencing Eating Behaviours
In this protocol, the investigators propose a randomised controlled trail to explore the effects of environmental factors and the use of technology on eating behaviours. The investigators have planned two studies to investigate these effects, one on high school students from Raffles Institution, and the other on the university population in the National University of Singapore.
Read the detailed description
Participants will be told a cover story that the study explores technological distraction on taste, and asked to complete a taste-evaluation taste of common snacks. One group (intervention group) will be asked to use their personal smartphones to engage in their pre-existing Whatsapp chats while doing the taste test. For the two control conditions, one group will be tasked with reading a neutral article on their personal smartphones while they complete the taste test, while the other group will be asked to complete the taste test without any use of smartphones.
- Conditions
- Whatsapp, Article, No Phone
- Being tested
- Whatsapp, Article, No Phone
- Keywords
- external eating, technology
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
WhatsappBehavioural
ArticleBehavioural
No PhoneBehavioural
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Participants will engage in Whatsapp chats on their smartphones during the taste test Receives: Behavioral: Whatsapp | |
| Article | Placebo comparator | Participants will read a neutral article on their smartphones during the taste test Receives: Behavioral: Article |
| No Phone | Active comparator | Participants will not use their phones during the taste test Receives: Behavioral: No Phone |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Amount of food consumed
Number of grams of cereal eaten
Measured: 20 minutes
Secondary outcomes (2)
Hunger ratings
Self-reported hunger ratings before and after the taste test
Measured: 10 minutes
Taste ratings
Self-report on how much they enjoyed the two food products during the taste test
Measured: 20 minutes
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted11 Aug 2017
- Study startJul 2015
- Primary completionJul 2018 (estimated)
- Study completionJul 2018 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Whatsapp, Article, No PhoneStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Yale-NUS College
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Raffles Institution
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Jean Liu, Yale-NUS College
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03247621
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- A-15-170
- Status last verified
- Aug 2017
- First submitted
- 9 Aug 2017
- Last updated
- 11 Aug 2017
- Results posted
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Aug 2017. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- External Eating: An Investigation of Social Media and Environmental Factors Influencing Eating Behaviours
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03247621
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- A-15-170
- Conditions
- Whatsapp, Article, No Phone
- Keywords
- external eating, technology
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 180 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Yale-NUS CollegeUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Raffles Institution
- Study start
- Jul 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jul 2018 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jul 2018 (estimated)
- First posted
- 11 Aug 2017 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
In this protocol, the investigators propose a randomised controlled trail to explore the effects of environmental factors and the use of technology on eating behaviours. The investigators have planned two studies to investigate these effects, one on high school students from Raffles Institution, and the other on the university population in the National University of Singapore.
Detailed description
Participants will be told a cover story that the study explores technological distraction on taste, and asked to complete a taste-evaluation taste of common snacks. One group (intervention group) will be asked to use their personal smartphones to engage in their pre-existing Whatsapp chats while doing the taste test. For the two control conditions, one group will be tasked with reading a neutral article on their personal smartphones while they complete the taste test, while the other group will be asked to complete the taste test without any use of smartphones.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 3
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Experimental | Behavioral: WhatsappParticipants will engage in Whatsapp chats on their smartphones during the taste test | |
| Article | Placebo comparator | Behavioral: ArticleParticipants will read a neutral article on their smartphones during the taste test |
| No Phone | Active comparator | Behavioral: No PhoneParticipants will not use their phones during the taste test |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 13 to 26 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
Key inclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Normal weight: Body mass index of 18 to 25
- Have at least occasional breakfast meals (≥ 3 times a week of self-reported consumption of a breakfast meal)
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Symptoms / history of any medical or psychiatric conditions
- Allergies to food products
- History of eating disorders
- Excessive exercise (≥ 5 times a week of self-reported exercise)
- Currently on a special diet or deliberating restricting caloric intake
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioural | ||
| Article | Behavioural | Article |
| No Phone | Behavioural | No Phone |
Primary outcome
Amount of food consumed
Time frame: 20 minutes
Number of grams of cereal eaten
2 secondary outcomes
Hunger ratings
Time frame: 10 minutes
Taste ratings
Time frame: 20 minutes
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Aug 2017.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Whatsapp, Article and No Phone in people with Whatsapp, Article, No Phone, run by Yale-NUS College at 1 site in Singapore.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Aug 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Singapore. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. Some participants in this study may receive a placebo. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Each site lists its own contact: choose the nearest one under Trial locations. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Amount of food consumed (time frame: 20 minutes). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Aug 2017; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.