Thanks for your interest in Phase I of the Dietary Guidelines Study. This study is a 3 month intervention examining how three different dietary patterns [1) Healthy U.S.-style Eating Pattern (US), 2) Healthy Mediterranean-Style eating Pattern (Med), and 3) Healthy Vegetarian Eating Pattern (Veg)] impact dietary quality and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) risk factors among African Americans (AAs). Our study will recruit AA adults (n=63) with overweight/obesity and ≥ three T2DM risk factors to participate and be randomized to follow one of the three diet groups.
Healthy US diet
A Healthy US diet contains low-fat meat, fish, or poultry, low-fat dairy products and vegetable oils instead of lard or butter. It also contains plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes/beans.
Meal examples include Brown rice with sizzling chicken and vegetables, Chicken and dumpling soup, Easy oven fish with spinach basil dipping sauce & spiced apples, Egg over kale and sweet potato grits, and Grilled cheese with peaches.
Mediterranean diet
A Mediterranean diet includes all food groups and emphasizes vegetables, fruit, grains, beans, and dairy. The diet also includes some red meat, fish, and nuts/seeds, and vegetable oils.
Meal examples include Braised chicken thighs with spinach, Greek pork chops, Grilled lamb salad, Pasta Bolognese, and Spaghetti and spinach pesto.
Vegetarian diet
A Vegetarian diet does not contain any meat products (no red meat, fish, or poultry) but emphasizing plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes/beans as well as eggs and low-fat dairy products.
Meal examples include Pasta primavera with vegetables and chickpeas, Pizza topped with vegetables, Veggie lasagna, Tofu-vegetable stir-fry, and Spicy bean burritos.
You do not have a choice in which diet you are assigned and therefore, must be comfortable with all three of the dietary choices. You will receive nutrition classes, cooking instructions, recipes, and supporting materials on the dietary approach you are assigned to follow. All the diets are safe and have shown to be effective ways to assist with achieving a healthy weight and helping reduce T2DM risk factors. Before you start the study, you will come for a group orientation meeting (in-person) at the University of South Carolina. University COVID protocol will be followed and masks will be strongly encouraged and provided. There, you will learn more about how to do the study, you can ask questions, and you can complete a consent form. You will then complete a clinical lab assessment visit (in-person) where we will obtain your weight, height, waist and hip circumference, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c (finger stick) and an inventory of current prescribed medications. COVID protocol will be followed and masks will be required. You will then learn about the diet you are assigned to follow. You will follow your assigned diet for 3 months. You will receive support throughout those 3 months and specifically, you'll attend group classes each week virtually. At the end of the 3 months, you will attend a clinical lab assessment visit again. Lastly, you'll be asked to participate in a focus group at the end of the study where you can share your experiences related to participating in the diet intervention. You'll receive $30 for completing all assessments (baseline and 3-month questionnaires and clinical lab assessment) and $20 for participating in the focus group. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in then please click here to complete a screening survey, which will help us determine your eligibility for the study.
First name:
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Last Name:
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Do you identify as being African American?
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Yes
No
How old are you?
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Are you male, female, or transgender?
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Male
Female
Transgender
Do you live in the surrounding, Columbia, SC area?
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Yes
No
Are you able to travel to USC's campus for weekly meetings?
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Yes
No
Height (feet and inches)
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Weight
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Do you take appetite suppressants or other weight loss medications?
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Yes
No
Which ones?
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Are you currently participating in a weight loss program?
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Yes
No
Are you currently following any of the diets listed below:
Have you lost more than 10 pounds in the last 6 months?
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Yes
No
Have you ever been diagnosed with diabetes?
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Yes
No
If yes, how is it controlled?
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Have you ever been diagnosed with a stroke?
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Yes
No
Have you ever been diagnosed with a heart attack?
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Yes
No
Have you ever been diagnosed with any other chronic disease/condition (i.e. kidney disease, cancer)?
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Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
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Have you had any major surgeries?
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Yes
No
If so, what and when?
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Please answer some questions about your eating patterns.
Are you satisfied with your eating habits?
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Yes
No
Do you ever eat in secret?
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Yes
No
Does your weight affect the way you feel about yourself?
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Yes
No
Have any of the members of your family suffered from an eating disorder?
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Yes
No
Do you currently suffer with or have you ever suffered in the past from an eating disorder?
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Yes
No
Do you have any travel plans over the next 6 months that would be longer than a week?
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Yes
No
If yes, please explain:
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Do you plan on moving out of the area in the next 6 months?
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Yes
No
Do you have access to a computer with an internet connection?
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Yes
No
Do you have a smartphone that can access the internet?
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Yes
No
Are you currently pregnant or planning on getting pregnant within the next 6 months?
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Yes
No
This study requires that participants be able to meet at USC for about 1½ hours once per week on a Monday or Tuesday night for 3 months. You will also be asked to attend two health assessment visits at the beginning and end of the 3 month period to measure your weight, blood pressure, and, finger stick for blood. Are you willing and able to commit to attending these classes and assessment visits at the University of South Carolina? Transportation will not be provided for you.
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Yes
No
This study requires that participants be able to meet at USC for a class that may occur anywhere from 5:30-8pm on Monday or Tuesday evenings once per week for 3 months or from 12pm-1:15 pm on Mon, Tues, or Wed. We will offer two different class times and days for each class. For example, if you are assigned to the vegetarian diet group, you would have the choice to attend class from 5:30pm- 6:45pm on Monday evening or from 12:00pm-1:15pm on Wednesday afternoon. So you could choose either day or time associated with the diet you are in. Are you available between 5:30pm and 8pm on both Monday and Tuesday evenings each week for the next 6 months or available from 12pm-1:15 on Mon, Tues, Wed afternoons each week for the next 6 months?
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Yes
No
Please select, in general, which days you are able to meet on. Please select all that apply:
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Are you willing to be randomly assigned (meaning you do not have a choice) to follow either the Healthy-US, Mediterranean, or Vegetarian diet?
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Yes
No
Diabetes Risk Factor Score We have some additional questions to assess your risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes: Are you a woman who has ever been diagnosed with gestational diabetes or given birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more?
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Yes
No
Do you have a mother, father, sister, or brother with diabetes?
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Yes
No
Have you ever been diagnosed with high blood pressure?
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Yes
No
Are you physically active?
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Yes
No
COVID-19 Questions
Did you have a confirmed case of COVID-19 over the past 24 months?
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Yes
No
"Have you received the COVID-19 vaccine?
"We will follow USC protocol. Fully vaccinated persons are not required to wear masks in USC buildings. Persons who are partially vaccinated or not vaccinated must wear masks in USC buildings at all time."
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Yes, I am fully vaccinated (2 weeks after your last dose of the vaccine).
I am partially vaccinated (not yet at 2 weeks past your last dose of the vaccine).
No, but I intend to get vaccinated.
No, and I do not intend to get vaccinated.
Other
please explain:
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Thank you for taking the time to complete this internet screener for the weight loss study. Please provide us with the following information so we can contact you.
E-mail:
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Cell phone:
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Which phone number would you prefer for us to use as your method of contact?
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Home Work Cell
Do you prefer to be contacted via phone or email?
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Phone E-mail
If you prefer to be contacted by phone, please check which times during weekdays are best for us to contact you:
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Is it OK for us to leave a message on your phone?
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Yes
No
Is it OK for us to send you a text message on your mobile phone?
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Yes
No
How did you hear about the DG3D study? (Please select all that apply.)
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Please specify the event where you learned about the DG3D study (e.g., community event, health fair).
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If you can remember, please specify the name of the DG3D staff who informed you about the study.
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Please describe how you learned about the DG3D study.
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Thank you for your interest in participating in this study. A member of our team will follow up with you regarding the next steps.
Thank you for your interest in participating in this study. A member of our team will follow up with you regarding your eligibility and next steps.
Update: Currently, our 3-month study has reached capacity. Upon confirmation of your eligibility, you will be contacted and added to our waitlist for our next cohort. We will begin contacting waitlisted persons in Jan 2022 to confirm participation.