- The meeting brought together representatives of EURECAT, Bursa Uludağ University and CREDA to discuss the priorities of WP4 tasks
- SWITCHtoHEALTHY aims to promote a dietary change that encourages the consumption of the Mediterranean diet and helps families acquire healthier habits
The SWITCHtoHEALTHY project has brought together participating partners from the Technological Centre of Catalonia (EURECAT), the Bursa Uludağ University and the Centre in Agri-food Economics and Development (CREDA) on 27 April. The meeting, held at the Baix Llobregat Campus of the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), has allowed to discuss the priorities of WP4, including: the study protocol, the recruitment strategy and the complementary documentation that will be sent for ethical approval.
SWITCHtoHEALTHY was born with the aim of encouraging a shift in dietary models toward a healthier pattern that aligns with the Mediterranean diet, which follows a dietary pattern based on a high consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, cereals and legumes. With regard to WP4, the objectives are to design a multicenter and multi-social nutritional family-based intervention across 360 families in Spain, Morocco and Turkey. This intervention will combine sustainable plant-based snacks along with digital tools and targeted educational materials.
FOLLOW-UP OF THE MEETING
Initially, the meeting has focused on the intervention’s design, led by EURECAT, covering aspects such as the study protocol, the standardization of methodologies across countries, the documentation for ethical committees, data harmonization and anonymization, family recruitment strategies, and deadlines and deliverables.
Afterwards, the SWITCHtoHEALTHY project’s spirit has persisted during lunch break with a Mediterranean-style picnic in the sun. After the pause, the attendees have resumed the meeting dealing with the topic of data collection, in this case led by CREDA. During this phase, the methodological approaches to analyze the impact of greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet from a healthy, environmental and economic perspective have been presented, along with the final draft of the questionnaire to be administered to study participants.
To conclude the meeting, the project partners have exchanged their opinions, thus facilitating the completion of the tasks planned for the meeting, and set the stage for defining the next steps.
SWITCHtoHEALTHY, which aims to end in March 2025, is scheduled to meet in Thessaloniki, (Greece), in May.