Trial Review

The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been endorsed by the ANZCTR. Before participating in a study, talk to your health care provider and refer to this information for consumers
Trial registered on ANZCTR


Registration number
Help: Registration number
ACTRN12626000397314
Ethics application status
Help: Ethics application status
Approved
Date submitted
Help: Date submitted
12/03/2026
Date registered
Help: Date registered
31/03/2026
Date last updated
Help: Date last updated
25/08/2026
Date data sharing statement initially provided
Help: Data sharing statement date
31/03/2026
Type of registration
Help: Type of registration
Prospectively registered

Titles & IDs
Public title
Can a short psychoeducation session on functional nutrition reduce disordered eating and improve body image?
Scientific title
Effects of a functional nutrition Single Session Intervention on disordered eating and body image in young adults  
Additional trial identifiers [1] 316768 0
None
Universal Trial Number (UTN)
Trial acronym
Related trial records

Health condition
Health condition(s) studied:
eating disorders 341070 0
Condition category
Condition code
Mental Health 337193 337193 0 0
Eating disorders

Intervention/exposure
Study type
Interventional
Description of the intervention or exposure
Functional nutrition is psychoeducation about the biological benefits of nutrition accompanied by a simple message: eat carbs regularly throughout the day. This randomised trial will compare a control condition to two intervention groups – both will receive a single session intervention containing psychoeducation about functional nutrition. The psychoeducation will be delivered online via PowerPoint slides embedded on the Qualtrics survey platform incorporating interactive components (such as text entry questions and a small quiz to assess understanding). The anticipated duration of this psychoeducation is 15 mins.

One group will receive a goal setting exercise related to nutrition (i.e., indulging) and the second group will additionally be asked to think about current obstacles that impede the realization of the goal (i.e., indulging + mental contrasting). Specifically, the indulging group will receive these instructions:

"Imagine yourself looking ahead over the next week like a path stretching before you. At the end of this path is your wish, something that will be happening differently in your life. What is it? Name your wish in 3-6 words:"
"Imagine yourself achieving this wish. Picture the scene in vivid detail—how does it feel to have achieved this? What does it say about you as a person?"

Whereas, the mental contrasting group will receive these instructions in addition:
Imagine yourself looking ahead over the next week like a path stretching before you. At the end of this path is your wish, something that will be happening differently in your life. What is it? Name your wish in 3-6 words:"
"Imagine yourself achieving this wish. Picture the scene in vivid detail—how does it feel to have achieved this? What does it say about you as a person?"

Although no homework is assigned, participants will be assessed to what extent they have met their nutritional goal at one-week follow-up using this question "In the last week, on how many days did you have at least 4 serves of carb, examples of serves are provided below. N Days ____"

All questionnaires, psychoeducation and goal setting will be administered in an online self-guided format.
Intervention code [1] 333453 0
Prevention
Intervention code [2] 333526 0
Behaviour
Description of the comparator or control
Participants in the control condition will complete a neutral, low-engagement filler task (i.e., copy out a paragraph from an academic paper). The anticipated duration is 15 mins, matching the duration of the psychoeducation. Participants will complete this task online using their own devices, unsupervised. Their copy responses will be recorded and reviewed on Qualtrics survey platform.
Control group
Active

Outcomes
Primary outcome [1] 344713 0
Disordered eating behaviours
Timepoint [1] 344713 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Primary outcome [2] 344714 0
Disordered eating cognitions
Timepoint [2] 344714 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Primary outcome [3] 344715 0
Weight and shape concerns
Timepoint [3] 344715 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Secondary outcome [1] 458964 0
Body Image Acceptance and Action
Timepoint [1] 458964 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Secondary outcome [2] 458965 0
Body Image Flexibility
Timepoint [2] 458965 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Secondary outcome [3] 458966 0
Depression, Anxiety and Stress symptoms (composite, measured within one scale, indicated by scores from three subscales - i.e., depression, anxiety and stress subscales)
Timepoint [3] 458966 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Secondary outcome [4] 458967 0
Depression
Timepoint [4] 458967 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Secondary outcome [5] 458968 0
Anxiety
Timepoint [5] 458968 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline
Secondary outcome [6] 458969 0
Negative affect
Timepoint [6] 458969 0
Baseline and immediate post baseline (after participants receive the psychoeducation).
Secondary outcome [7] 458970 0
State body image
Timepoint [7] 458970 0
Baseline and immediate post baseline (after participants receive the psychoeducation).
Secondary outcome [8] 458971 0
Goal attainment
Timepoint [8] 458971 0
Baseline and 1-week post-baseline

Eligibility
Key inclusion criteria
Eligibility includes:(1) being able to read and write in English, (2) ages 17-25, (3) having access to the internet and a device capable of completing the study measures, (4) first year psychology students participating in the Flinders SONA study pool.
Minimum age
17 Years
Maximum age
25 Years
Sex
Both males and females
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Key exclusion criteria
No exclusion criteria.

Study design
Purpose of the study
Prevention
Allocation to intervention
Randomised controlled trial
Procedure for enrolling a subject and allocating the treatment (allocation concealment procedures)
Methods used to generate the sequence in which subjects will be randomised (sequence generation)
Simple randomisation using a randomisation function on Qualtrics Survey platform.
Masking / blinding
Who is / are masked / blinded?



Intervention assignment
Other design features
Phase
Not Applicable
Type of endpoint/s
Statistical methods / analysis

Recruitment
Recruitment status
Completed
Date of first participant enrolment
Anticipated
30/04/2026
Actual
26/04/2026
Date of last participant enrolment
Anticipated
Actual
8/05/2026
Date of last data collection
Anticipated
Actual
14/05/2026
Sample size
Target
144
Accrual to date
Final
117
Recruitment in Australia
Recruitment state(s)
ACT,NSW,NT,QLD,SA,TAS,WA,VIC

Funding & Sponsors
Funding source category [1] 321503 0
University
Name [1] 321503 0
Flinders University
Country [1] 321503 0
Australia
Primary sponsor type
University
Name
Flinders University
Address
Country
Australia
Secondary sponsor category [1] 324263 0
None
Name [1] 324263 0
Address [1] 324263 0
Country [1] 324263 0

Ethics approval
Ethics application status
Approved
Ethics committee name [1] 319900 0
HREC Humanities and Social Sciences
Ethics committee address [1] 319900 0
Ethics committee country [1] 319900 0
Australia
Date submitted for ethics approval [1] 319900 0
31/03/2026
Approval date [1] 319900 0
23/04/2026
Ethics approval number [1] 319900 0

Summary
Brief summary
Trial website
Trial related presentations / publications
Public notes

Contacts
Principal investigator
Name 148774 0
Dr Yuan Zhou
Address 148774 0
Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park SA 5042
Country 148774 0
Australia
Phone 148774 0
+610882017587
Fax 148774 0
Email 148774 0
[email protected]
Contact person for public queries
Name 148775 0
Yuan Zhou
Address 148775 0
Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park SA 5042
Country 148775 0
Australia
Phone 148775 0
+610882017587
Fax 148775 0
Email 148775 0
[email protected]
Contact person for scientific queries
Name 148776 0
Yuan Zhou
Address 148776 0
Flinders University, Sturt Road, Bedford Park SA 5042
Country 148776 0
Australia
Phone 148776 0
+610882017587
Fax 148776 0
Email 148776 0
[email protected]

Data sharing statement
Will the study consider sharing individual participant data?
Yes
Will there be any conditions when requesting access to individual participant data?
Persons/groups eligible to request access:
• Researchers
Conditions for requesting access:
• No requirements
What individual participant data might be shared?
• De-identified individual participant data:
• Published results
What types of analyses could be done with individual participant data?
• Any type of analysis (i.e. no restrictions on data re-use)
When can requests for individual participant data be made (start and end dates)?
From:
After publication of main results
To:
Not yet decided
Where can requests to access individual participant data be made, or data be obtained directly?
• Email of trial custodian, sponsor or committee: Email Dr Yuan Zhou [email protected]

Are there extra considerations when requesting access to individual participant data?
No


What supporting documents are/will be available?

No Supporting Document Provided


Results publications and other study-related documents

Documents added manually
No documents have been uploaded by study researchers.

Documents added automatically
No additional documents have been identified.